JP6215912B2 - Positioning device - Google Patents

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 640,141 filed Apr. 30, 2012 (“POSITIONING DEVICE”, US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/800, filed Mar. 15, 2013, 537 ("POSITIONING DEVICE", and US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 801,834 filed on March 15, 2013 ("POSITIONING DEVICE WITH HIGH QUINCK ATTACH DETACH MOUNTING MIGHTING MISALIGNT All of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

  The present invention relates generally to robotic positioning devices, and more particularly to a device for positioning one or more payload devices for rotation about one or more rotational axes.

  A robot is a machine capable of performing tasks automatically or according to instructions (typically by remote control). A robot is typically an electromechanical machine and is directed by computer and electronic programming. The robot may be autonomous, semi-autonomous, or remote-controlled. A remote-controlled robot or “remote robot” can be used when the work is dangerous, remote, or inaccessible, so that human field work is not possible. The remote robot is operated remotely by a human operator rather than following a series of predetermined movements. The robot may be in another room or in another country. With the advancement of robots, autonomous controls such as motion-triggered tracking and video-only streaming related to security forces are gradually improving. These autonomous artificial intelligence controls can be performed from a remote computer, an externally attached computer, and an electronic device housed in a robot.

  In order to perform certain tasks in a harmful environment, the robot may have device accessories (also known as “payloads”) that perform the necessary tasks. The payload can be a camera, distance sensor, firearm, mechanical arm, sensor, and the like. In many cases, the payload needs to be positioned or targeted with high accuracy for task execution. The payload is moved using a mechanical assembly integrated with the robot. The mechanical drive mechanisms used by robots were geared systems such as spool gears, harmonic gears, and worm gears. However, many of these systems are very complex and require many components to position with high accuracy and are very heavy due to the large number of components. Such high weight is a burden in the growing mobile positioning platform market, where smaller size and lower weight are desired, but for complex and fragile geared drives, it is expensive for mobile deployment devices. When vibration and impact occur, there is a high possibility that the gear teeth will break and the roller chain will come off. Also, excessive wear on the gear teeth due to high vibrations results in the recoil accumulation until the accuracy drop that the user can withstand is exceeded. Adding a motor, rubber band or other preloading mechanism to counter the recoil increases the number of parts, complexity, size, weight and cost.

  Performance characteristics during operation in environments subject to frequent mechanical shocks and vibrations, reduced wear in gear teeth and other driveline components, reduced recoil for high position accuracy, reduced cost, size and complexity What is needed is an improved positioning system that can provide the necessary accuracy and reliability, such as the integration of components for, and the ease of assembly and disassembly during manufacturing and maintenance. A simple design can have a low seam housing, which is stronger and has fewer seals that can cause environmental and electromagnetic threats to enter and damage sensitive electronic components.

  The present invention is directed to a high precision robot positioning platform that allows for precise aiming and movement of payload under the control of one or more users. The positioning device can comprise a base to which the positioning device is attached. The base can be a fixed tripod, a long pole, a building, or a fixture in a factory assembly line, or the base can be a mobile manned or unmanned vehicle, satellite, animal or human . The shaft can be rigidly attached to the base and can be a semi-permanent mount, or can be provided with a toggle clamp assembly for repeated and faster attachment and removal of the positioning device from the base. The housing can rotate around the fixed shaft via an enclosed drive component. These drive components include motors or actuators (“motors”), bearings, pulleys or gears (“gears”), and similar connections for transferring torque between belts, cables, roller chains, or gears. obtain. The motor can be rigidly attached to the housing and the pulley or pinion gear ("motor gear") can be rotated directly from the connected motor rotor or indirectly via an intermediate gear box You can also. The motor gear is coupled to another gear ("shaft gear") that is rigidly attached to the fixed shaft, and the inter-gear connection may be a direct meshing of two gear teeth, or a chain, cable or It may be an indirect connection of the belt.

  In a belt drive, the belt can be any of a variety of belt tooth profiles (eg, trapezoidal, curved, or modified curved tooth profiles). Any motor gear and shaft gear may be provided with a mating groove profile for proper meshing with the selected belt. The gear belt and groove teeth may have the same profile or may have corresponding meshing profiles that are slightly different. The modified curved belt profile may have curved sides and valleys, but has a flat peak that does not fill the curved valleys of the meshing pulley profile like the conventional curved profile. The belt can have a cut-off peak, but the pulley tooth pattern can be completely curvilinear, and the connection between the belt and teeth is not a highly accurate “same shape” design found in trapezoidal and standard curvilinear profiles. It can be a “mesh” design.

  The housing of the positioning device can rotate smoothly around the fixed shaft via a bearing rigidly connected between the shaft and the housing. The bearing may comprise an inner ring, an outer ring, and a rotary or sliding bearing held between the inner ring and the outer ring. The housing can be rigidly connected to any ring of the bearing. In order to provide rigidity against static and dynamic loads in the axial, radial, moment and compound directions, the bearing has four-point contact with the inner and outer rings and is pre-loaded in the bearing element Undesirable play can be minimized. Crossed rollers, double angles, or other bearing arrangements with total load handling can be selected to optimize the strength, weight, size, cost, and frictional force for the intended use of the positioning device. When the bearing is provided with a gear device on the outer ring, it can function simultaneously as both the bearing and the rotating shaft gear in the same package. By expanding one or both of the ring lands attached to the plane with removable fasteners instead of the always press-fit mount, assembly, disassembly and repair can be performed conveniently. Small bearings with low load tend to have raceways that reduce the thickness to the mounting flange, referred to as flanged bearings, and the track that remains thick to form a flat mount that attaches to a flat surface is a flat mount bearing Called. A small flat mount bearing with an external gearing can be described as a small swivel ring or an external gear turntable bearing. As referred to and claimed below, a turntable bearing is a bearing with a flange or a wide at least one ring for non-fixedly mounted flat mounts such as removable fasteners. Yes, alone, it can handle moderate loads in many directions and couplings, and each track can include an integral or separately attached gear or belt profile, which is conventionally used in heavy machinery Smaller and lighter than flat-mount and slewing bearings.

  The shaft gear can be a small slewing ring bearing or an external gear type turntable bearing, with an outer diameter of less than 12 inches and a weight of less than 5 pounds each. The design of the present invention can also be scaled up to support heavier housings and payloads, and bearing elements with performance attributes that are more suitable for larger and heavier loads than four-point ball bearing configurations And race configurations can be adapted. Larger bearing rings may employ weight-saving structural materials (eg, aluminum, beryllium, and magnesium alloys), but select various other materials and mixtures to optimize other performance measurements (Especially carbon nanotube doped material). By using new materials in the rolling bearing element, further weight savings can be achieved (eg silicon nitride balls or cylindrical rollers).

  The payload can be rigidly connected to the housing and can be rotated with high accuracy around the fixed axis along the housing under the control of the motor and drive components. A “pan-through shaft” configuration can be employed to accommodate payloads that must not be rotated with the housing. If the bearing is mounted around the shaft on one side of the housing, a second bearing or bushing can be mounted around the shaft on the second side of the housing opposite the first side. . This second bearing can be gently mounted on the shaft to apply an axial load to a higher capacity turntable bearing. The bearing and shaft components can be aligned with each other by the keyway and the precisely arranged alignment pins, and the remaining shaft misalignment can be compensated for by the intermediate shaft coupling. The fixed shaft can extend completely through the second side of the housing, and the payload can be coupled to the end of the fixed shaft for fixed attachment by the fixed base, thereby allowing rotational movement of the housing. Free.

  The positioning device may also comprise a second shaft. The second shaft extends through a hole in one or more sides of the positioning device housing and rotates the coupled payload about the second axis. This shaft can be an axis perpendicular to or inclined with respect to the fixed shaft axis, rotating with respect to the housing and free from the fixed mounting base. In general, the mounting platform is approximately the same height as the ground, the fixed shaft faces upwards, and the housing rotates about the fixed shaft for azimuth to pan the payload left and right. Thus, the second right angle shaft can rotate up and down with respect to elevation to tilt the payload at high and low angles. Such dual axis positioners are known as “pan / tilt” or gimbals. The tilting shaft (“tilt shaft”) and drive components may comprise many of the same structures, components and methods used for fixed azimuth shafts (“pan shafts”). Each component and assembly of the pan shaft and pan drive assembly may comprise a corresponding tilt component or tilt assembly that performs substantially the same role as that achieved by its fixed shaft counterpart described above, but at right angles or Translated at an inclined angle.

  The tilt shaft can be coupled to the bearing. Similar to pan bearings, tilt bearings can include an inner ring, an outer ring, and a four-point contact bearing or similar strong bearing held between the inner ring and the outer ring. In one embodiment, the inner ring can be rigidly connected to the housing of the positioning device and the outer ring of the tilt bearing can be rigidly connected to the tilt shaft. If the tilt bearing is mounted around the tilt shaft on one side of the housing, the second bearing or bushing should be mounted around the tilt shaft on the second side of the housing opposite the first side Can do. The tilt shaft can penetrate the second side of the housing, similar to the pan-through shaft configuration, thereby connecting the second tilt payload to the end of the tilt shaft. The shaft can be split and can include an intermediate shaft coupler to compensate for shaft misalignment. The positioning device may comprise a tilt drive mechanism. The tilt drive mechanism includes a tilt motor coupled to a tilt belt that surrounds the outer ring of the tilt bearing. The outer ring may include teeth that function as a double duty as a tilt shaft gear (e.g., teeth that engage corresponding teeth in the belt and tilt motor gear).

  To ensure that the belt is installed consistently and properly at the proper tension and to ensure that the belt is always tensioned during work in high vibration and impact environments, the motor is a slide plate locked by a bolt. And can be provided with a ratchet gear track or a wedge vise. A ratchet gear track or wedge vise supports the bolts in gradually positioning the plate and maintaining the factory-set belt tension.

  Power can be supplied by an internal battery that does not need to be recharged or replaced very often, can be supplied by an external power source (eg, grid power or power via optical fiber), It can be done by machine (eg solar, wind, hydraulic) or directed energy transfer (eg microwave or free space laser beam output).

  The user may be a human, an artificial intelligence (“AI”) computer, a cybernetic organism (“cyborg”), or a collective network of any combination of separate humans, cyborgs or AI computers. A human user can actuate or position the payload via a human computer interface device (“HID”) (eg, analog knob, keyboard, joystick, gamepad, touch screen, voice recognition microphone, gesture recognition vision system) Or thought-sensitive brain scanner). These HIDs may transmit signals or data protocols for interfacing with a central electronic control system (“controller”) within the positioning device. This central electronic control system (“controller”) interprets the commands as commands for performing pan / tilt, zoom or other actions. Cyborg is expected to use a direct data link between the controller and the computerized brain via any suitable signal transmission medium while interfacing with the controller via the interface HID using the body. .

  The AI user may be software executed on a computer linked to the pan / tilt device from the outside, may be integrated with the pan / tilt device, or may be a controller housed in the robot device housing. It may be embedded logically in, or may be added in the computer subsystem of the payload. Any number and combination of complex AI or simple software algorithms may operate in a hierarchical manner, or may operate as a collaborative set of resources and processing nodes distributed over a computer network. The payload and positioning device are networked nodes through which the computer network control node collects sensory data using the positioning device and payload and physically interacts with the environment. The request or command sent by the external control node to the positioning device controller can be wired or wireless (eg, radio frequency or laser beam signal). The positioning device controller can translate or forward the external request to the motor with the required protocol or communication method. The control electronics in the payload also send data between the payload and the positioning controller and onto the remote node. The payload can be, for example, a digital camera, a sensor, a spotlight, or a weapon. Signals from these payloads are sent through the positioning system to the controller, which sends the signals to the remote unit and the operator.

  Users can control the positioning device through the network and collaborate to share resources through the cloud network. For example, a task that detects a target event by analyzing a payload sensor in real time and recognizes it can be added to a built-in AI in the positioning device. Target video clips and telemetry can be uploaded to a database in the secure cloud, and other users can take control of the positioning device to further investigate and / or second data mining of information received therefrom. Or run. An integrated battlefield monitoring application on another cloud resource fuses information from multiple positioning devices to view individual targets from multiple overlapping angles or secure a wide area. In another application of the invention, the payload may comprise a mechanical arm and a camera, and a team of doctors may remotely assist the patient. Often, the patient is in a hostile zone and a robust unmanned ground vehicle robot needs to withstand high vibrations, shocks and bad weather on the way to the patient. In such cases, a physician can perform high-precision monitoring to inspect trauma and manipulate surgical instruments.

1 is a top view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 2 is a power and control system diagram of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a top cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a top cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a top cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a top cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a top cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a top cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 2 is a partial plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 1 is a complete plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 2 is a partial plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 1 is a complete plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a positioning system. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a positioning system. It is a top view of one embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is front sectional drawing of one Embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is front sectional drawing of one Embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is front sectional drawing of one Embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is front sectional drawing of one Embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is a partial front sectional view of one embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is a partial front sectional view of one embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is a partial front sectional view of one embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is a partial front sectional view of one embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is a partial front sectional view of one embodiment of a turntable bearing. It is a partial front sectional view of one embodiment of a turntable bearing. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a dynamic shaft seal. It is front sectional drawing of the motor mount provided with the gear track tensioner. It is an up-and-down sectional view of a pawl gear interface of a motor mount. FIG. 6 is a lower cross-sectional view of a motor mount pawl gear interface. FIG. 3 is a top view of a standard small workpiece holding vise. 1 is a side view of a standard small workpiece holding vise. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of a standard small workpiece holding vise. FIG. 6 is a top view of one embodiment of a motor mount vise. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a motor mount vise. FIG. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a motor mount vise. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of a motor mount vise. FIG. It is a cross-sectional top view of one embodiment of a positioning device using a motor mount vise. It is a cross-sectional top view of one embodiment of a positioning device using a motor mount vise. It is a cross-section partial side view of an embodiment of a motor mount using a vise lock. FIG. 6 is a partial front view of the top of a fast mounting toggle clamp mount for a removable portable device. FIG. 5 is a partial front view of the lower portion of a fast mounting toggle clamp mount for a removable portable device. It is side part sectional drawing of a high-speed toggle clamp mount. It is a partial side view of the lower part of a high-speed toggle clamp mount.

  The present invention is directed to a robot positioning device. 1-3, a top view of an embodiment of the robot positioning device 101 is shown in FIG. 1, a front view of the positioning device 101 is shown in FIG. 2, and a side view of the positioning device 101 is shown in FIG. It is. The positioning device 101 may comprise a first payload 134 and / or a second payload 136 mounted on the pan shaft 125 and rigidly connected to opposite ends of the tilt shaft 105. The first payload 134 and the second payload 136 can be almost any type of device (eg, arm, camera, laser pointer, laser sight, laser range finder, laser output transceiver, spotlight, covered illumination) , Loudspeakers, antennas, radar, sensors, low kill power weapons, high kill power weapons, and any combination of such devices mounted in a multi-sensor package). The positioning device 101 can rotate around the pan shaft 125, and the tilt shaft 105 can rotate within the positioning device 101 to rotate the payloads 134, 136 in azimuth and elevation. The positioning device 101 includes a housing 111 and an upper cover 113. The housing 111 and the upper cover 113 surround and protect internal electronics and mechanical systems that control the rotation of the positioning device 101 and the tilt shaft 105. By sending a control signal to the mechanical system, the first payload 134 and the second payload 136 can be rotated to any angular position relative to the pan shaft 125, which can be fixed or movable.

  FIGS. 5-9 and 11-16 illustrate an embodiment of a pan device for rotationally moving the housing and attached or integrated payload with respect to azimuth. 17 and 19-22 also show an elevational view of an embodiment of a tilt assembly that can function as a complete device for rotating the attached or integrated payload with respect to elevation. The pair into the composite biaxial device is shown more clearly by drawing a dashed line between these pan and tilt devices. The upper part of the housing is divided in each pan device embodiment, as is the housing in the lower embodiment of each tilt device, combining the single axis pan embodiment as a module with the single axis tilt embodiment, and the payload More clearly shows a composite dual-axis device that allows both pan and tilt. FIGS. 10, 18, and 23-35 illustrate an assembly that combines various pan device embodiments with tilt device embodiments to provide a dual axis pan / tilt positioning device. 36-46 show a bearing embodiment common to all device embodiments. FIG. 47 shows a dynamic rotating shaft seal. FIGS. 48-60 show how adjustable motor mounts that are gear-tracked and vise-locked increase the impact and vibration tolerances of positioning devices and other belt, cable and chain drive machines. FIGS. 61-64 show a toggle clamp mounting apparatus for fast mounting and removal of a positioning device or other portable device from a mounting platform.

  Referring to FIG. 5, a front cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a bread device is illustrated. The housing 111 rotates around the fixed pan shaft 125 to change the azimuth angle of the payload attached directly to the housing 111 or attached to the inside. The manner in which the housing 111 rotates around the fixed shaft 125 via the pan bearing 127 is shown in more detail in FIG. 41 and will be described in more detail later.

  A positioning device can be attached to the top of the pan shaft 125 by a pan bearing 127 connected between the pan bearing flange 129 and the concave inner annular surface on the pan shaft 125. The pan bearing 127 includes an inner ring 133, an outer ring 137, and a plurality of bearings 135 between these rings. The plurality of bearings 135 allow the outer ring 137 to rotate smoothly around the inner ring 133. The pan bearing flange 129 may be firmly connected to the lower portion of the housing 111 and the inner ring 133 of the pan bearing 127. The outer ring 137 of the pan bearing may be firmly connected to the upper part of the pan shaft 125. Due to the mounting holes provided in the outer ring 137 of the pan bearing 127, the outer ring is firmly attached to the shaft 125 by a fastener.

  To avoid damage to the threads formed in the pan shaft 125, high strength thread inserts (eg, Keensert or Helicoil) are embedded in the pan shaft mounting hole pattern to significantly increase thread strength. Can be improved. The bearing inner ring 133 may also include a mounting hole for mounting the bearing to the housing 111 via the flange 129. In one embodiment, the pan bearing flange 129 may be rigidly connected to the housing 111 and the inner ring 133 of the pan bearing 127 by a plurality of screws, bolts or other removable fastening mechanisms. Significantly improved thread strength by embedding a high-strength threaded insert (eg, Keensert or Helicoil) in the housing to avoid damage to the threads formed in the floor post of the housing 111 Can be made. The inner ring 133 can also be firmly attached directly to the lower part of the housing 111 with multiple screws, bolts or other fasteners as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, and the hole pattern in the housing floor is also threaded Can be reinforced by inserts. Referring to FIG. 12, the outer ring planar surface 168 can be very flat, the bottom of the pan shaft flange 229 can be extremely flat and parallel, the inner ring 133 planar surface 166 can be very flat, and the floor of the housing 211 can be These can be parallel to the upper annular boss, and as a result of these flat and parallel joining, the pan shaft 325 rotates very concentrically with respect to the bearing hole 167 and the housing 211.

  The pan bearing 127 assembly allows the positioning device to rotate around the pan shaft 325. Teeth that can be included in the circumference of the outer ring 137 can engage with a drive mechanism described in more detail below. The tooth profile may be cut directly on the circumference of the outer ring 137, directly on the circumference of the pan shaft 125 as shown in FIG. An integral shaft gear may be created by rigidly mounting around the outer ring 137 or around the pan shaft 125. In one embodiment, the tooth profile is chopped directly into the shaft 125 and the torque is applied to the shaft 125 by the belt 106 meshing with the gear teeth to generate rotational movement. The inner surface of the pan belt 106 and the outer surface of the outer ring 137 may be provided with corresponding teeth (referred to as “ratchets”) to avoid slipping when the belt is synchronized between the pan belt 106 and the outer ring 137. By controlling the movement of the pan driving mechanism with high accuracy, the housing 111 can be rotated with high accuracy to any desired azimuth position.

  Referring to FIG. 23, the internal power supply 118 can provide power to control the electronics and motor components. Power and control signals can enter the positioning device via connector 141 and can interface with electronics enclosed in a wide space in the pan shaft 125. These power and data signals can be routed further into the housing 111 by sending them through the bore 167 of the pan bearing 127. In order to avoid excessive deflection of the wire due to shaft rotation or pulling the wire too far away from the receptacle, the slip ring 140 is placed in the bore 167 and firmly attached to the fixed shaft 125 by the slip ring bracket 180. be able to. The components enclosed in the shaft 125 and the housing 111 can be protected from the environment by a dynamic shaft seal 152 and a static seal between any through perimeter and the joining edge of the housing 111. Both the air valve 150 and the connector 141 may have a static seal to avoid leakage at points through the outer wall, and the air valve 150 causes the sealed housing 111 to be free of clean contaminants. It can be purged and pressurized with gas.

  Referring to FIG. 6, the pan belt 106 meshes with a belt profile cut directly into the circumference of the outer bearing ring 137 to produce a geared bearing as shown in FIGS. Alternatively, a geared bearing can be similarly mounted by press-fitting or otherwise rigidly mounting a separate ring of pulley stock to be chopped around the outer ring 137 of a non-geared bearing as shown in FIGS. Can be obtained. The inner surface of the pan belt 106 and the outer surface of the outer ring 137 may be provided with corresponding teeth to avoid slipping between the pan belt 106 and the outer ring 137. The horizontal dashed line through FIG. 6 shows three different top and bottom views in FIGS. FIG. 9 is a view showing a cross section of FIG. Referring to FIG. 7, a top view of the housing 111 directs the front side 122 at the bottom of the figure and the rear side 124 of the bread device is shown at the top of the figure. The eight split posts in the floor of the housing 111 show the manner in which the pan bearing flange 129 is bolted into the housing. The pan shaft 125 may be provided with a pattern of bolt holes 395 for fastening the outer ring 137 of the pan bearing 127 through the housing 111 from below. The alignment pin 138 press-fitted into the hole 396 arranged with high accuracy enables the outer ring 137 to be arranged with high accuracy on the pan shaft 125 and the shaft can be aligned with high accuracy through the center of the bore in the housing floor. . A slip ring bracket 180 that can be rigidly attached to a shelf in the shaft 125 can secure the slip ring 140 to the shaft 125, or the flange of the slip ring 140 may be fastened directly into the shelf. The pan shaft gear outer ring 137 is mounted on the pan shaft 125 by moving upward to the diagram in FIG. A similar plan view of the bearing is shown in FIG. 36, showing that each ring may include a plurality of various mounting holes 395, alignment pin holes 396, central bore 167 and bearing seal 160. Referring to FIG. 9, the pan bearing flange 129 may be firmly attached to the pan gear inner ring 133, and may include an alignment pin 138 for positioning the pan gear 127 on the pan bearing flange 129 with high accuracy. Providing a notch in the flange allows instrument access to the fasteners in the mounting holes 395 and the alignment pins 138 in the alignment holes 396. Manual rotation of the shaft 125 allows positioning of the lower pins of each fastener and access notch. These cuts also allow access for belt 106 attachment and tensioning. A second motor gear 104 having a rotational axis parallel to the rotational axis of the shaft gear 127 is driven by the motor to transfer torque to the shaft 125 via direct meshing of gear teeth or via a belt 106 as shown. be able to. A pan motor 102 (not shown) above the pan gear 104 can be firmly connected to the housing 111. When electric power is applied, the rotor of the pan motor 102 rotates, and as a result, the pan gear 104 rotates and the pan belt 106 moves. As a result, the outer ring 137 rotates relative to the inner ring 133 connected to the housing 111. To do. Since the pan motor 102 is fixed with respect to the housing 111, the housing 111 rotates around the pan shaft 125 when the pan motor 102 moves. By controlling the movement of the pan motor 102, the positioning device 101, the first payload 134, and the second payload 136 (shown in FIGS. 1-4) can be rotated to any desired rotational position with high accuracy. . The broken lines in the figure indicate the basic datum and direction from which the cross section of FIG. 6 is taken.

  Referring to FIG. 10, the pan bearing flange 129 is integrated with the housing 111. The pan motor gear 104 can be driven from the pan motor 102 attached to the pan motor bracket 282. The pan motor bracket 282 is provided on a rail integrated with the floor of the housing 111. In the illustrated embodiment, unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 where a pan motor bracket 282 (a motor bracket not shown in FIG. 9) is mounted on the pan flange 129, the bracket 282 and pan motor assembly includes a pan bearing. The structure is independent from the flange 129. Separating the motor mounting function from the panshaft gear mounting function increases flexibility during the manufacturing assembly and repair phase, and as a result, optimizes the order and procedure of component mounting or removal in these narrow spaces. Separating the integral shaft flange 129 and the bracket 282 further provides a working space for attaching the belt 106 and applying tension. Toward the housing rear side 124, the tilt motor bracket 115 attaches the second motor 112 and motor gear 114 to the integral flange in the housing 111 to introduce the start of the biaxial embodiment. The tilt motor 112 is suspended above the notch in the integral flange of the housing 111 and a threaded post or threaded insert is provided below it to attach an electronic device or other accessory to the floor of the housing 111. . Referring to FIG. 59, a plan view of a similar embodiment is shown, with an integral pan bearing flange 129 and separate motor mount plates 282, 115 provided that the wedge 670 is driven by a screw 671. To slowly position and hold the motor mount plate slowly for proper belt tension. FIG. 60 shows a cross-sectional partial side view of the tilt motor assembly of FIG. 59, whereby the wedge 670 adjusts the screw 671 to push the tilt motor bracket 115 away from the tilt axis in the radial direction. Referring to FIG. 48, a front cross-sectional view of the pan motor embodiment is illustrated. This pan motor can be combined with the housing of FIGS. 10 and 59, but with a linear gear belt tensioning system instead of a wedge. The need for geared and wedge motor mounts for high precision drive will be discussed in more detail later. Referring to FIG. 11, the pan-through shaft 425 is firmly attached to the pan shaft 125. An embodiment of a full dual axis pan-through shaft device is illustrated in FIGS. 34 and 35, allowing the payload to be freely attached from any pan and tilt action. 12-16 show a further embodiment of the bread device. Referring to FIG. 12, the pan shaft gear 127 is attached directly to the floor of the housing 211 instead of through the pan bearing flange 129 of the above-described embodiment. The pan shaft 325 must be narrower than the pan shaft 125 as shown so that it can pass through the pan shaft gear bore 167. The bore in the floor of the housing 211 can be narrower than the housing 111 and can be as narrow as the pan gear bore 167, thereby reducing the dynamic shaft seal 152 and the housing 211. Can be realized. The pan shaft 325 is attached from the lower side of the housing 211, and the gear type outer ring 137 is firmly attached to the shaft 325 by the pan shaft flange 229. Referring to FIG. 14, pan gear 127 bolts inner ring 133 directly into the floor of housing 211, but by attaching pan shaft 225 from above (rather than the separately attached pan shaft flange 229 of FIG. ) A high strength integral pan shaft flange 229 is possible. The base of the pan shaft 225 may comprise an integral thread or threaded insert for attachment to the base (eg, Keensert or Helicoil). Alternatively, the base plate adapter 291 may be attached to widen the base of the pan shaft 225 that has been forcibly narrowed by design so that it can pass through the pan gear bore 167. Because the dynamic shaft seal 152 requires that the restricted opening be shielded from debris hits and air blast impacts, a removable seal gland shield 155 can be attached to the underside of the housing 211. Lines 15 and 16 in the figure show the top and bottom views of FIG. 14 as in FIG. 6 referenced in the top and bottom views of FIGS. Referring to FIG. 15, the annular boss in the floor of the housing 211 is provided with a bolted circle, the inner ring 133 is attached by a bolt 465, and may include an alignment pin hole for the alignment pin 138, whereby the inner ring of the pan gear 127. 133 is arranged with high accuracy. When the pan gear is attached, the pan shaft 225 is attached by passing through a hole in the floor of the housing 211 and falls from above, and the slip ring 140 is enclosed in the hollow pan shaft 225. Referring to FIG. 16, the top of the pan shaft 225 includes an integral flange fastened in the pan gear outer ring 137 (shown in FIG. 14) to position the pan shaft in the narrow bore in the housing 211 with high accuracy. Alignment pins 138 may be provided. As similarly shown in FIG. 10, the pan motor mount 182 is attached to the floor and the wall portion of the housing 211 to attach the motor 102 independently from the pan shaft flange 225. The tilt motor support plate 183 also provides flexibility in the assembly process, independent of the pan shaft 225. The broken line shown in FIG. 16 shows a front sectional view obtained by dividing FIG. 14 into two equal parts (from the front side part 222 toward the rear side part 224). 15 to 16 are above the plan view.

  Thus, each of the illustrated embodiments so far has a detailed method for attaching the inner ring or through ring of the turntable bearing to the housing with the shaft attached to the outer ring. Referring to FIG. 13, the method of attaching the opposite ring is illustrated, with the pan bearing outer ring 137 fastened directly into the floor of the housing 211 and the inner ring 133 firmly attached to the flange 229 of the pan shaft 225. . Since the outer ring 137 is fixed, it cannot function as a gear. Therefore, the flange 229 must have a belt profile that is geared directly into the accessible pulley diameter, or by press fitting or otherwise attaching a gearing ring to the edge of the pan shaft flange 229. The torque required for the rotation of the shaft 225 can be applied from the pan belt 106. In the case of a vertically small assembly, the flange 229 may be arched on the pan bearing 127 and overlaid on the outer ring 137, and a geared pulley surface may be provided on the circumference of the overlying portion. In the case of this embodiment, there is an advantage that the load handling capacity is further increased, and the detachability by the turntable bearing is also obtained. This alone is a great advantage in view of having to rely on frequent bearing breakage in the prior art, but may be less cost effective than the geared bearing embodiment, The wide pan-shaft embodiment may lack the tubular stiffness, including the possibility that the belt cannot be aligned between the motor and the shaft gear, like a geared bearing.

  5-16 illustrate various embodiments of shafts that rotate relative to the chassis or housing via turntable bearings with mounting holes, rather than multiple pairs of press-fit bearings typical in the prior art. The outer ring 137 can be attached to the shaft, the inner ring 133 can be attached to the housing, or vice versa, and the shaft can be designed to attach the housing from either direction. Various embodiments with all the advantages of a turntable bearing capable of handling multiple loads are possible with regard to the design choice of which ring to attach to which surface and the design choice of from which end the shaft is inserted. is there. However, the selection of a particular embodiment is not arbitrary. Each configuration has costs and benefits in physical strength, stiffness, vibration resistance, complexity, cost, and ease of assembly and repair, and after describing each figure, its characteristics are disclosed in more detail.

  FIGS. 17 and 19-22 show a tilt positioning device similar to that presented by the embodiment of the pan device shown in FIGS. Since the tilt device has the same type of turntable bearing, the components and mounting arrangement are very similar to the azimuth pan device, but shifted in a perpendicular direction.

  With reference to FIG. 17, the elevation or tilt positioning device may include a drive mechanism for rotating the tilt shaft 105 within the housing 111. The tilt shaft 105 passes through two side portions of the housing 111. That is, the tilt shaft 105 can extend through the housing 111 and can exit the housing 111 through the first side 121 and the second side 123. In order to perform the same function as the pan bearing flange 129, the tilt shaft flange 241 firmly connects the inner ring 133 of the tilt shaft gear 131 to the wall portion 121 of the housing 111. The tilt shaft gear 131 can be coupled between the inner ring 133, the outer ring 137, and the plurality of bearings 135 between the inner ring 133 and the outer ring 137. The plurality of bearings 135 allow the outer ring 137 to rotate smoothly around the inner ring 133. The tilt shaft flange 107 can be firmly connected to one side of the tilt shaft 105 in the vicinity of the first side 121 of the housing 111. The tilt shaft flange 107 can be firmly connected to the outer ring 137, and the inner ring 133 can be firmly connected to the second tilt shaft flange 241 that is firmly connected to the first side 121 of the housing 111. it can. Inner ring 133 may have a plurality of threaded mounting holes and flange 241 may include corresponding through holes in the same pattern. Bolts 465 or other removable fasteners can be placed through the mounting holes in the flange 241 and tightened into the threaded holes in the inner ring 133. The tilt shaft flange 107 can have a plurality of threaded mounting holes, and the outer ring 137 of the tilt bearing 131 can have corresponding through holes. Bolts 465 can be placed in the mounting holes in the outer ring 137 and tightened tightly into threaded holes in the tilt shaft flange 107. These threaded holes in the tilt shaft 107 can be reinforced by threaded inserts (eg, Keensert or Helicoil). As with all threaded fasteners in the positioning device, a thread lock compound can be added to the fastener to reduce loosening due to vibration. The outer ring 137 is attached to the tilt shaft flange 107. The circumference of the outer ring 137 may include teeth that can engage the drive mechanism. This drive mechanism can be a belt, another gear or other actuator and is coupled to a tilt motor (described in more detail below).

  Referring to FIG. 18, the tilt motor 112 and the tilt motor gear 114 may be firmly connected to the housing 111. When electric power is applied, the rotor of the tilt motor 112 rotates, and as a result, the tilt gear 114 rotates and the tilt belt 116 moves. As a result, the outer ring 137 of the tilt shaft gear 131 is connected to the housing 111. Rotate against. Since the tilt motor 112 is fixed to the housing 111, the tilt shaft 105 rotates in the housing 111 due to the movement of the tilt motor 112, and the payloads 134 and 136 (shown in FIGS. 1 to 4) are transferred to the housing 111. Tilt at an elevation angle with respect to. By controlling the movement of the tilt motor 112 and the attached drive mechanism, the first payload 134 and the second payload 136 can be rotated with high accuracy to any desired elevation angle.

  To associate the tilt shaft with the pan device described above, the page shown in FIG. 6 is rotated clockwise by 90 ° and this is compared with FIG. The inner ring 133 of the pan shaft gear 127 is attached to the housing 111 by the flange 129 in FIG. Similarly, the tilt shaft gear 131 is attached to the housing 111 via the inner ring 133 by the flange 241 in FIG. In both embodiments, an outer ring 137 is attached to each shaft, but the tilt shaft 105 in FIG. 17 provides the flange 107 by gradually reducing the diameter of the shaft on the left side of the gear mount surface. On the other hand, the pan shaft 125 of FIG. 6 maintains a large shaft diameter. By limiting the tilt shaft 105 in FIG. 17, the bore inside the housing side portion 121 can be reduced together with the shaft seal 152 and the seal shield 155. By gradually reducing the shaft diameter on the left side of the mounting surface on the flange 107, the size and weight of the tilt shaft 105 is reduced. Since the left end portion of the tilt shaft 105 can be attached to the payload instead of the base portion, the tubular rigidity enabled by the wide pan shaft 125 becomes unnecessary. Changing the shaft diameter allows device embodiments to be individually tailored to size, weight, stiffness, and shaft / payload interface shape. In view of the manner in which the shaft is mounted within the housing 111, further performance measurements can be optimized.

  Referring to FIGS. 17 to 23, the tilt shaft 105 penetrates through two walls of the unibody structure and is divided into two pieces, so that the shaft piece can be attached to the integral shaft flange 107. . The integral shaft flange 107 may be stronger than a separately attached shaft flange. The left side portion of the tilt shaft 105 is attached from the inside and penetrates the outside 121 of the housing 111. The right side portion of the tilt shaft 105 is a wide stepped shaft similar to the pan shaft 125, and needs to be inserted from the outside and enter through the wall side portion 123. Referring to FIG. 18, since the small device shown in the upper and lower views has a large internal space, the size, weight and rigidity are only optimized according to the performance in the selection of the shaft piece and its mounting procedure. Instead, it is necessary to consider what is physically feasible for engineers.

  1-4, the purpose of the tilt shaft 105 may be to rotate the payload to a desired elevation angle. The first payload 134 can be attached to one end of the tilt shaft 105, and the second payload 136 can be attached to the end opposite to the tilt shaft 105. The payload 134 is omitted in most of the other figures to show only the moving part in the page area. If only one payload is desired, the shaft end cap can be bolted to the end of the tilt shaft 105 to seal and protect the shaft end.

  The payload can be integrated with the housing 111. Thus, the payload and housing 111 can be coupled and rotated together at an azimuth angle with respect to the pan shaft 125. Referring to FIG. 29, expanding the cover 113 upwards expands the hollow volume within the housing 211 to better fit the payload device.

  Referring to FIG. 19, the bearing mounting bosses inside the side portions 121 and 123 are undercuts using high-precision bores, which can be difficult and expensive to polish into metal stock. Or it does not matter in the molded structure (eg cast metal, injection molded engineering plastics, or graphite fiber composites). In embodiments where the housing walls 121, 123 have no outward draft or are dense inside, the integral shaft mount can be an obstacle in assembly assembly and disassembly. Referring to FIG. 22, a removable circular bracket 128 can be disposed around the tilt shaft 105 between the inner ring 133 of the tilt bearing 131 and the first side 121 of the housing 111. The fastener of the inner ring 133 may extend through a hole in the bracket 128 and may be threaded into a threaded hole or threaded insert in the first side 121 of the housing 111. The bracket 128 may include a bore that houses the dynamic seal 152. A second removable tilt shaft bracket 145 may attach the radial bearing 144 to the wall side 213. The radial bearing outer ring can be tightly pressed into a high precision bore in the bracket 145 and can have a loosely matched and disengaged press fit between the inner ring of the bearing 144 and the shaft 105. Although the tilt bearing 131 has a high load capability, the bearing 144 can limit the deflection of the shaft and can interpolate the load capability of the tilt bearing 131 as a safety factor. The fastener may extend through a hole in the bracket 145 and may be threaded into a threaded hole or threaded insert in the second side 123 of the housing 111. Both brackets 128, 145 may have high precision alignment pins 138 for aligning bearings 131, 144, thereby reducing unintended preload due to shaft misalignment. In molded structures, there may be problems or costs associated with bore tolerances and surface finishes in the housing walls and floors, and tolerances in the bearing mounting holes and precision bearing alignment pins 138, so that the brackets 128, 145 are formed in the molding process. Sometimes it can be a solid insert permanently embedded in the wall.

  Referring to FIG. 19, the turntable bearing 131 is the only bearing on the shaft if it has a four-point contact groove, a double angle bearing element or a high combined load capability in the form of a roller bearing as shown in FIGS. Can handle the load as well. Referring to FIG. 42, an enlarged view of the rolling bearing element of the embodiment of the turntable bearing is shown. The ball bearing 135 rotates between the groove portions 393 in the edges of the rings 133 and 137. These grooves may be Gothic arch tracks that contact the ball 135 at 4 points 399. Lubricants can fill balls and tracks to reduce friction, dissipate heat, and avoid corrosion. By making this lubricant conductive, the arc discharge on the ball can be reduced, the impedance between the rings 133 and 137 can be reduced, and a better Faraday box can be generated. The bearing may include a separator ring 162 for separating the balls. By cutting the notch 397 into the ring, the face seal portion can be held and protected from contamination. Referring to FIG. 43, two rows of balls are stacked to increase the load capacity. This is an anti-parallel double angle bearing where each ball contacts two points 399. The inner ring 133 can be divided into two pieces 233 to assemble a single ring capable of receiving an external gear profile while the outer ring 137 remains thick. The face seal portion 160 can be firmly supported by the shield 161. The ball 235 can be silicon nitride for weight reduction. Instead of the separator ring 162, silicon nitride balls 235 may be alternately provided with slightly smaller steel spacer balls 135. However, in the case of a silicon nitride roller, the load capacity against impact load is low and it is non-conductive. Referring to FIG. 44, the ball 135 can contact the groove at a point 399 in a face-to-face double angle direction. The pair of separator rings 162 allows the balls 135 to be spaced apart. The bearings can be assembled and preloaded by fastening the split inner rings 233 together, or other presser flanges may be used. Referring to FIG. 45, a row of cylindrical roller bearings 335 can be used instead of balls. The rollers can be provided at an angle to handle a combination of loads. With reference to FIG. 46, three rows of cylindrical rollers 335 can be combined to form a three-row crossed roller bearing with very high stiffness and load capability in a large and heavy embodiment of positioning device 101. Assembling is possible by dividing the outer ring 237.

  In order to increase the load capacity of the tilt shaft assembly without the need to update the four point angle contact turntable bearing 131 to a larger double angle or roller bearing, the second bearing 144 is rigidly mounted on the side 123. Thus, the moment and radial load generated in the tilt bearing 131 can be limited. Referring to FIG. 20, a bushing or bearing 144 can be disposed between the tilt shaft 105 and the second side 123 of the housing 111. With this configuration, the tilt shaft 105 can rotate smoothly with respect to the housing. The bearing 144 can be a radial bearing and has a loose mounting or light press fit around the tilt shaft 105 so that an axial load and a constant moment load is applied to the higher capacity turntable bearing 131. This bearing can be press-fitted from the outside or the inside. Referring to FIG. 21, this radial bearing may be a bearing 143 with a removable flange attached, rather than a permanently press-fit bearing 144. Referring to FIG. 22, the radial bearing 144 is press-fitted into the bracket 145. Necessary for bearing failures, if undercuts are expensive or impossible in connection with polishing of the housing 111, and usually in assembly procedures that are hindered by the shaft mounts 128, 145 shown in FIG. If obtained, this bearing assembly can be removed and discarded. Referring to FIG. 21, the tilt gear 131 can be attached from the outside, and the bolt penetrates the housing 111 of the side portion 121 from the outside.

  Referring to FIG. 17, the tilt shaft of the described tilt positioner can include a slip ring 140 or similar through-bore slip ring, and these embodiments can be predicted from a pan device. It is necessary to protect the wire harness routing between the payloads 134, 136 and the interior of the housing 111 by shafts that penetrate both walls. The travel range of the shaft needs to be limited to avoid situations where the wire bends to a critical bend radius or is pulled so strongly that it detaches from the receptacle. In order to limit the movement range of the tilt shaft, the tilt shaft mounting flange 241 may include a keyhole. The lower side 728 may have a wide hole and the upper side 628 may comprise a thick wedge or key. The adjacent shaft diameter of the tilt shaft 105 can have a corresponding mating shape, so that the upper side 190 has a small diameter and the lower side 191 can have a wide diameter or key. Hole 728 and shaft diameter 190 provide clearance for rotation until protruding keys 628, 191 rotate relative to each other to physically impede further movement. In other embodiments, other disturbances can be used. Referring to FIG. 22, the tilt shaft flange 107 includes a rod-shaped machine stop 108. Under normal range of motion, the protrusion 108 can slide over the shaft mount bracket 128. The opposite end of the bracket is raised so that the shaft stop 108 is too long to pass over the raised key. The position of the stop 108 is consistent with the shallow raised area of the bracket 128 to allow or block movement within a defined range of rotation angles. Referring to FIG. 19, the lower side of the housing cover 113 may include a protrusion 109. One or two tilt shaft flange stops 108 may project inward in the opposite direction from FIG. 22, but are covered by the tilt shaft 105 in this figure. Excessive rotation is avoided by the projection 108 colliding with the cover stop 109. Although these three disclosed methods provide a travel range of less than 360 degrees, a more complex floating machine stop allows for a wide range (eg, 540 degrees) or a more adjustable hard stop.

  In order to sense the angular position before the machine stops collide with each other, the position sensor 146 attached to the side 123 can read the features in the flange 147 that is rigidly attached to the tilt shaft 105. The sensor 146 may be a magnetic sensor or a reed switch sensing magnet attached to a flange 147, and patterning these magnets allows for incremental or absolute encoding in the shaft direction. Sensor 146 may be an optical device that passes or reflects the beam at the flange to detect the reference position. The flange 147 is patterned so that the output of the read head 146 is an optically encoded increment or absolute position. By adjusting the flange 147 with the tilt shaft 105, the flange feature can be angularly aligned with the reference read head point with high accuracy. The tilt shaft 105 can achieve a highly consistent angular alignment and highly accurate position reading for the read head 146 by utilizing keyways and alignment pins 138 in each connection. Referring to FIG. 36, each turntable bearing ring may include at least two high precision alignment holes 396. Referring to FIG. 23, the wall side portion 121 includes alignment pin holes arranged with high accuracy together with alignment pins 138 (not shown). These alignment pins 138 align with the high-precision alignment holes 396 of the inner ring 133 of the tilt gear 131. The tilt shaft flange 107 also arranges the outer ring and the tilt shaft with high accuracy using alignment pins or holes that engage with the alignment pins or holes in the outer ring 137. The high-precision alignment between the tilt shaft bearings 131 and 144 allows the tilt shaft 105 to rotate very smoothly and concentrically, and does not enter a narrow hole that passes through the housing wall. In order to correct further alignment errors and inaccuracies in the bearing and shaft, the shaft coupler 188 can correct shaft misalignment and can include a flange 147 for position sensing. The pan shaft can similarly achieve angular position readout by mounting the read head to the housing (eg, on the pan bearing flange 129), and whether the encoder wheel is attached to the slip ring bracket 180. Or it is mounted on the flange of the slip ring 140. In one embodiment, the turntable bearing 131 has an alignment pin hole and a pin inserted into the pin hole, thereby positioning each ring within the housing wall and the tilt shaft flange 107 with high accuracy. In order to target the payload with high accuracy and repeatability, high-precision alignment pins 138, keyways and shaft couplers can maintain mutual alignment between the shaft components. Although sensors are used to calibrate and read angular position, a machine stop can be used to limit rotation and position calibration.

  In embodiments of the tilt device, there is a need to protect the drive components and sensitive electronics from the environment. Referring to FIG. 17, the cover 113 can be attached to the top of the housing 111 with a plurality of screws, bolts, or other fasteners. By making the corresponding mounting hole pattern in the mating flange of the housing 111 an embedded threaded insert, the thread strength is improved. The groove in this upper flange of the housing 111 can have a static seal 156, thereby avoiding leakage at the cover and the joining edge of the housing 111. By providing an overbite ledge (also referred to as “meander path 1”) on the cover, light, water jets and electrical threats are prevented from reaching the seal 156 directly. In one embodiment, a dynamic rotating shaft seal (“dynamic seal”) 152 may be disposed between the tilt shaft 105 and the inner ring 133 of the tilt bearing 131. This dynamic seal 152 makes it possible to rotate the shaft without breaking the hermetic seal. It is also possible to obtain a comprehensive sealing solution by making the right side of the tilt shaft 105 a dynamic seal. Referring to FIG. 47, the seal 152 may include a spring 252 to maintain contact under irregular shaft vibrations, high impulses of fluid pressure (eg, a tremendous explosion), and the spring may be Contact can be maintained when non-uniform pressure is applied due to misalignment. The right side of the seal 152 is referred to as the heel and may extend in the length direction for additional rigidity under pressure. Under high external pressure, the base of the heel can protrude between the narrow hole of the housing 111 and the tilt shaft 105 (known as an extrusion gap). Thereby, a seal part is removed from the state which has taken alignment with a shaft. The long heel limits constant protrusion, and by providing a simultaneous protrusion 352 of a harder material, it is further avoided that the seal protrudes through the extrusion gap. Because dynamic seals are often delicate, the ends of shaft 105 can be chamfered or rounded like the ends of shafts 125, 225, 325, 425 in all embodiments, which Avoid surface burrs. Referring to FIG. 21, the holes on the bolt head and side 121 are a source of leakage from the environment and therefore require an external seal even if individual seals are included in the bolt. However, the shaft seal 152 cannot adequately seal the top of the fastener and the counterbore in this wall. The bracket 154 can provide a suitable seal gland for the dynamic shaft seal 152 and a backup static seal 156 can avoid the passage of contaminants in the dynamic seal 152. By attaching the seal gland shield 155 to the outside of the wall 121, the gas pressure wave and the contaminant injection are allowed to enter the seal gland while leaving the opening wide enough to allow the captured water and debris to escape. The situation of entering can be avoided. Referring to FIG. 22, the shaft seal is integrated with the tilt shaft mount brackets 128 and 145 in the housing 111. Each bracket may be provided with a backup static seal 156 to avoid situations where contaminants pass through the seal. Referring to FIG. 5, any enclosed sealing device embodiment or payload purge and pressurization can be performed by providing an air valve 150 as a separate part of the shaft or made directly on the shaft. .

  Referring to FIG. 22, regulated power can be provided by a power source 118 (which can be seen below the tilt shaft 105) attached to the wall side 123. The tilt motor 112 can also be visually recognized on the lower side of the tilt shaft. This motor is attached to an adjustable tilt motor bracket 115. The tilt motor bracket 115 is fastened into the housing 111 via the pan bearing flange 129. Referring to FIG. 18, the above plan view of the embodiment is illustrated and the housing cover 113 is omitted for clarity. FIG. 18 is similar to the pan device of FIG. 9 but includes a drive mechanism for the tilt shaft 105. The drive mechanism of the tilt shaft 105 includes a tilt motor 112, a tilt motor gear 114, and a tilt belt 116. The tilt motor 112 is connected to the housing 111 and is disposed between the fourth side portion 124 of the housing and the tilt shaft 105. The tilt motor gear 114 is connected to the tilt motor 112 and drives the tilt belt 116. The tilt belt 116 surrounds the outer ring 137 of the tilt bearing 131. The tilt motor 112 and the pan motor 102 can be mounted on either side of the tilt shaft 105 in the housing 111, resulting in a positioning device that balances the weight distribution of the components. The tilt motor 112 is firmly attached to the tilt motor bracket 115. The slot provided in the bracket applies tension to the tilt belt 116 through a certain range of adjustment. In another embodiment described below, a tilt motor is attached and tensioned by a ratchet or wedge mechanism. The ratchet type mechanism is less likely to break under vibration and impact than the bracket 115. After tension is applied to the tilt belt 116, the tilt motor bracket 115 is fastened onto a pan bearing flange 129 or similar structure that is rigidly attached to the housing. The tilt motor 112 has a tilt motor gear 114 attached to the rotor shaft, and the tilt belt 116 is wound around the tilt motor gear 114 and the tilt shaft gear 131. Since the inner surface of the tilt belt 116, the outer surface of the outer ring 137, and the tilt motor gear 114 have corresponding teeth, slipping between the outer surfaces of the tilt belt 116, the outer ring 137, and the tilt motor gear 114 is avoided. When the motor is operated, the tilt motor gear 114 drives the tilt belt 116, and as a result, the outer ring 137 rotates, and as a result, the tilt shaft 105 rotates through the tilt shaft flange 107. In order to avoid the situation where the belt is disengaged from the gear, the shaft gears 127 and 131 and the motor gears 114 and 104 can be provided with flanges to hold the belts 106 and 116. Alternatively, referring to FIG. 23, a feature can be made to function as a flange by being adjacent to a gear. For example, by making the diameter of the tilt shaft flange 107 slightly larger than that of the tilt shaft gear 131, the inner wall side portion 121 is brought close to the tilt shaft gear 131 to avoid the outward movement of the belt 116. It can function as a flange that holds inward movement. Similarly, the pan belt 106 can be held by making the diameter of the upper part of the pan shaft 125 slightly larger than that of the pan shaft gear 127. The underside of the pan bearing flange 129 can function as a low roof for blocking the upward movement of the belt 106. The belts 116, 106 may be belts with peaked teeth that tend to center the belt, and the belts may comprise tension members woven in a pattern that resists movement from the center.

  FIG. 23 shows a front cross-section of a complete bi-axial pan / tilt positioning device with the cross-section sliced in the middle of the pan and tilt axes. While various embodiments of single axis pan only and tilt only devices have been understood, this dual axis device 101 can be understood as a composite of the pan device of FIG. 6 and the tilt device of FIG. . Dashed lines are drawn toward the various top and bottom plan views in FIGS. The dashed lines separate features of interest by taking a non-linear path in the drawing rather than taking a slice of the horizontal section. Unlike the true top sectional views of FIGS. 7-19 and 15-16, the top and bottom plan views of FIGS. 24-28 are not cross sections and do not have cross section hatching. That is, the components above the horizontal broken line in FIG. 23 are often omitted in order to clarify the features most relevant to the claims of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 24, a partially assembled device 101 is illustrated. A state of the non-sectional housing 111 as viewed from above is shown, and the cover 113 is omitted, and all the internal components are illustrated. These figures illustrate what an assembly engineer might see at various stages of fabrication of the device 101. One main housing 111 is shown and the floor features are exposed. Unlike the cross-sectional top views of FIGS. 7 to 10, when mounting the bosses of the tilt bearings 131, 144 on the wall side parts 121, 123 minimizes the dimensions of the housing 111 to obtain a compact positioning device, an assembly obstacle It can be seen that can be provided. There is a large flange at the top of the housing 111, the groove is filled with a static seal 156, and many threaded holes are provided outside the seal groove to provide a consistent and even high pressure to the cover 113 Thus, a hermetic environmental seal and a low impedance electrical shield junction can be provided.

  In FIG. 25, a view of the same embodiment as FIG. 24 is shown, but FIG. 25 is a slightly higher view, and is a non-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the device is partially assembled, and the cross-sectional view of FIG. The pan gear 127 is disposed on the pan shaft 125, and the slip ring 140 is supported by the slip ring bracket 180. At the periphery, eight threaded posts for the pan bearing flange 129 are fastened into the housing 111.

  Referring to FIG. 26, as can be seen from the non-sectional view of the device in a further assembled state, it is cut into the pan bearing flange 129 for removal of the tilt shaft bearing mount and access to the fasteners and alignment pins 138 of the outer ring 137. is necessary. The pan bearing flange 129 is visible as a rigid member that anchors the pan shaft assembly to the main housing structure 111. The notch in the pan bearing flange 129 can be used to access the bolt pattern of the pan turntable bearing outer ring 137 to attach and adjust the pan belt 106 and reduce the weight of the flange.

  Referring to FIG. 27, the pan motor 102 is attached together with the power source 118. Referring to FIG. 28, a view of the device 101 in a fully assembled condition with the housing cover 113 removed is shown. By disposing the tilt shaft 105 at a right angle above the pan shaft 125, it is possible to reduce the moment load that reduces the movement efficiency. With such inefficiencies, the maximum allowable payload weight and rotatable speed are reduced. Here, in the front cross-sectional view, the tilt shaft mechanical stop 108 that was not visible on the rear side of the tilt shaft 105 can be seen here. In this figure, a central electronic controller 574, which is a new component, is introduced. The central electronic controller 574 controls the motor, controls the payload device, processes and encodes sensor data (eg, video), monitors position sensors, operates the motor and senses in the base Neutralizing the movements made, actively stabilizing the payload, monitoring the power supply 118, monitoring internal environmental sensors (eg, humidity, temperature and gas pressure), as shown in FIG. To process commands from the user generated by HID575 or external controller 573, to operate the device autonomously with the built-in AI, or to perform any other task common between embedded computers It can be an embedded processing platform. Controller 574 is attached to housing 111 by internal controller bracket 173. A thermal pad or compound between the side of the controller 574 and the bracket 173 conducts heat from the electronics into the bracket 173 and then into the wall of the housing 111. By installing a heat pipe between the high heat generation component on the controller and the housing 111 or the cover 113, the heat generation can be more directly and efficiently dissipated. By providing fins or pins on the outer surfaces of the housing 111 and the cover 113, heat can be dissipated into the air.

  Referring to FIG. 29, another biaxial positioning device 201 is illustrated. This device can be viewed as a composite of the pan device of FIG. 14 and the tilt device of FIG. Referring to FIG. 30, a third dual axis embodiment is obtained by a combination of the pan device of FIG. 14 and the tilt device of FIG. FIG. 30 will be described in detail through the top and bottom plan views in FIGS. Due to the upper components, the components and important features embedded therein are not visible, so in FIGS. 31 to 33, pay attention to the features at various depths within the complete positioning device. It is shown. A horizontal broken line along the tilt axis 105 in FIG. 33 indicates a cut surface in the diagram of FIG. Referring to FIG. 31, the housing 311 is illustrated. The housing 311 does not include an integral tilt shaft mount, and the wall can be linear in the vertical direction. Referring to FIG. 30, the manner in which the pan bearing 127 is mounted from above and the inner ring 133 is bolted into the annular boss around the hole in the bottom of the housing 311 is also shown in FIG. The pan shaft 225 is inserted from above, and the flange 229 is bolted into the outer ring 137. Referring to FIG. 32, the outer periphery 137 of the pan shaft gear 127 can be surrounded by the pan belt 106. By firmly attaching the pan motor support plate 182 to the housing 311, a level platform for mounting the mount pan motor 102 and the adjustable motor mount is obtained, and the second platform 183 is attached to the housing 311 to provide the tilt motor bracket 115. The tilt motor can be fixed via The motor support plates 182, 183 may be surrounded by a pan belt 106 around the pan motor gear 104 and provided with cuts for access to minimize weight. Referring to FIG. 33, a complete top view of the device 301 without the housing cover 113 is illustrated.

  Referring to FIG. 34, a dual axis positioning device 401 is illustrated with a pan through shaft. Since the pan shaft 125 extends through the roof 413, the tilt shaft 105 needs to be shifted from the pan axis for clearance. The pan-through shaft can be a single shaft or a second shaft 425 that is rigidly attached to the pan shaft 125 or bolted directly through the center of the pan shaft 125 and into the mounting base. Similar to the tilt shaft assembly, the second bearing 144 is used on the roof opposite the pan shaft gear 127 to provide eccentric motion, radial load and moment load (which can cause damage to the bearing of the pan shaft gear 127). Restrict. Although not shown in this view, as shown in the tilt shaft of FIG. 23, the shaft coupler 188 can interface with the pan shaft pieces 125,425. The tilt motor subassembly is shown as the tilt assembly is moved to the back of the datum in the figure. The tilt motor 112 and the tilt motor gear 114 can engage with the tilt belt 116 to rotate the tilt shaft gear 131. A fixed payload device 434 is mounted above the pan-through shaft 425. The fixed device is typically a radar, an antenna, or a fixed wide angle camera that does not rotate. Since the main housing cover 413 rotates around the fixed shaft 425, a dynamic shaft seal 152 is provided on the underside of the payload housing 434 and oriented downward (which may cause the top cover 413 to get wet or scatter). Avoid ingress of rainwater or other fluids. The pan-through shaft flange 429 allows the payload 434 to be securely attached to the pan-through shaft 425, and alignment pins or keyways can be used to precisely align the payload azimuth with the pan shaft 125 and mounting base. The housing cover 713 includes a mating flange and a static seal as described for the cover 113. Payload 434 may include an air valve 150 for purging and pressurizing the interior with a conditioned gas. Referring to FIG. 35, the top view of the device 401 shows the tilt shaft 105 being removed from the pan axis. Cover 413 and upper payload 434 are omitted for clarity. The tilt shaft 105 may also include a shaft coupler 188 as shown in the tilt shaft configuration of FIG.

  In belts, one or more pulleys or idlers need to be adjustable for belt attachment, tensioning and removal. In the prior art, the shaft gear is fixed and the motor and motor gear are slid close to or away from the shaft gear and the fastener is moved within a slot in the motor adjustment plate. Referring to FIG. 10, the motor mount brackets 115 and 282 are used to adjust the positions of the motor gears 104 and 114 to apply tension to the belts, and then the bracket is fixed by friction of the bolt head on the side of the slot. Lock in position. This bolt head friction may be insufficient to maintain the position of the motor bracket under high impact and vibration. The linear gear track and pawl shown in FIGS. 48-50 allow the motor mount to maintain belt tension (when the bolts are loosened and the motor mount 282 cannot be held in place). It can be advanced step by step. Referring to FIG. 49, the pawl 680 illustrated in the top view can be fastened into the floor of the housing by shoulder screws 684. The pawl tip can be mounted in the tooth space of a linear gear track 685 that is rigidly attached to an adjustable pan motor mount 282. When the motor mount 282 advances forward toward the front wall 122, the center distance to the pan shaft gear 127 is increased by the pan motor gear 104. A constant force applied by a torsion spring 682 confined between the shelf in the pawl 680 and the obstacle pin 682 drives the tip of the pawl 680 into the groove of the linear gear 685. Referring to FIG. 50, the lock pin 681 shown in the underside view of the pawl and gear assembly can assist in holding the pawl 680 in place after the proper belt tension is reached.

  Referring to FIGS. 51-60, another motor mount holding device uses a screw wedge technique applied to a workpiece holding vise for CNC machining. Referring to FIG. 60, the tilt motor mount bracket 115 may include a sloped side portion. When the wedge 670 is lowered by turning the screw 671, the inclined side portion is pressed. Referring to FIGS. 51 to 53, a top view, a side view, and a front view of a small work holding vise are shown. When the wedge 670 is lowered by the screw 671, the jaw 673 is pushed out by this vise. By holding a spring or elastomer ring 674 in the guide 675 to hold the separate pieces together, the jaws and wedges can be pulled together when the workpiece needs to be removed from the vise. The positioning device does not require such features. This is because the tension need only be applied once or twice in the factory, and maintenance is almost unnecessary. Referring to FIGS. 54-57, a top view of the vise modified to linearly move and lock the adjustable component in one direction, as opposed to a standard vise bidirectional movement, side A partial cross-sectional view and a front view are shown. Referring to FIG. 56, the right side of the wedge 670 can be straight, and no lateral force is applied to displace the right jaw 673. Referring to FIGS. 58 and 59, the pan bearing flange 129 may comprise a straight walled backstrip, which will cause the wedge 670 to be pressed into the fixed pan bearing flange 129 while supporting the wedge. To avoid. This is because the tension applying belt can withstand the displacement of the motor mount plates 282 and 115. As these screws 671 rotate, the motor mount plate slowly advances and tension is applied to the belt, holding the screw 671 in place by a non-permanent thread rocker, and always tensioning the belt during vibration and impact. Can be maintained.

  Referring to FIGS. 61 to 64, the feature provided on the pan shaft 125 meshes with the mounting fixture 605. The mounting fixture 605 can be locked and released at high speed by a manual toggle clamp. Referring to FIG. 61, the pan shaft 125 of the positioning device 101 may be provided on three legs (ie, the right rear leg 615, the left rear leg 625, and the front center leg 635). Referring to FIG. 63, the legs can be provided on the mounting plate 605. The mounting plate 605 is attached to a base (for example, a tripod 602). To secure the pan shaft in the mount, the pan shaft 125 can be pulled in the right direction away from the mount plate side 606 and the rod 603 slides up the slope 608 in the mount plate 605. Can eventually be stopped by the wedge 604. Referring to FIG. 61, a hooked toggle point 612 is firmly mounted on the front leg 635. Referring to FIG. 62, the latch 613 of the toggle clamp 617 engages the anchor 612 to pull the pan shaft into the locking wedge 604 when the handle of the clamp 617 is pulled to the closed and locked position. When the draw stroke is locked, the electrical connector 141 can engage the external cable. To quickly release the positioning device, the handle of the clamp 617 can be pulled upward so that the pan shaft 125 is pushed out of the wedge and the connector 141 is cut, after which the latch 613 is removed from the toggle point anchor 612. The positioning device can be removed from the mount 605.

Details of Positioning System Design of the Present Invention The positioning device of the present invention is a device attached to both a mobile platform and a fixed platform. The fixed platform is typically a tail CCTV pole, a bracket permanently attached to the building, or a fixture in a robot assembly line. Devices mounted in such fixed platforms are typically semi-permanent and are removed only when performing maintenance or replacing devices. As with tires on vehicles, these installations are typically long-term, must be reliable, difficult and cumbersome to perform. Moreover, since the device is arranged on the mount and provided at a high position so as not to come into contact with the destructive material, and the thread lock compound is used for the high safety bolt, the removal becomes more complicated.

  The mobile platform can be a manned or unmanned vehicle (eg, a police car, an airplane, an ATV, a boat, or a robot mercenary). The mobile platform may be a human or animal. The positioning device concept solves problems in indoor and outdoor robotic devices with outdoor positioner aiming payload devices (eg cameras and lasers) to apply to the current situation where demand is increasing but technology is not catching up It is to be. Mobile deployed positioning devices and robots are likely to fail when subjected to mechanical impacts (eg, falling to the ground) and weather and electromagnetic interference. Because it is particularly resistant to these threats by using new bearings and transmission mechanisms, the positioning device is expected to penetrate the market most in this outdoor mobile space.

  Users demand the ability to quickly and easily attach and remove devices to and from mobile mounting platforms for small portable devices (eg, positioning devices). In the case of border patrol units, crew members drive off-road vehicles over the desert where the positioning device is mounted on the roof or top of the mast with night-view payloads. When a member reaches a reconnaissance hiding place to start a mission, the member needs to remove the positioning device from the vehicle and then attach it to a tripod placed in a covered hidden position. The positioning device and mount must have cooperating features to provide a stable, flush, reaction-free platform for the payload. Once the target is discovered by the positioning device, the crew needs to quickly remove the positioning device from the tripod and re-install it on the vehicle to begin tracking. If a member is attacked, such a fast and easy removal and installation process can be a life saving feature and a device saving feature. This is because it is not necessary to throw out the device and escape to hurry. When the border patrolmen return to the outpost, the small, portable positioning device can be quickly and easily removed from the vehicle and stored in a storage locker. This storage locker is protected from exposure to thieves, destructibles and environmental hazards.

  In the prior art, bolts and / or groove-inner tongue type interfaces were mainly used for mount mobile devices. Watching the movie “Christmas Story”, in one scene of it, the main characters are helping to replace the punctured tires, predicting problems with the use of loose fasteners at night or difficult conditions. If plenty of lighting is not available, the operator cannot place the fasteners on the mount and may misplace the fasteners or instruments in this process. In a hidden situation, the flashlight cannot be used, so the only thing the operator can rely on for installation and removal is only tactile and spatial relationships. Fasteners are a further defect. The reason for this is that the instrument, bolt head and thread may collapse if frequent attachment and removal are performed. In stressful situations (eg combat, surgery, tight production schedules on robot assembly lines), human operators do not have the delicate motor skills to operate the equipment and complex installation / removal They do not have the ability to recognize and execute procedures. Even in cold weather, delicate motor skills can be lost, in which case the operator wears gloves, making it difficult to manipulate small appliances and complex mating shapes.

  For some examples of prior art positioning devices and portable payload devices, bolts in mobile mount designs are almost impossible, but most of these solutions are of bolting methods that rely on delicate motor skills. Instead, it uses mating features that rely on other delicate motor skills, and many still have small features (eg, ball lock pin). The small fixed pin may be a ball lock pin, the spring-loaded ball bearing is recessed in the shaft of the pin, and another type of fixed pin comprises a spring-loaded plunger. In either case, the ball or plunger pin is aligned and snapped in place when the engagement hole in the engagement structure is aligned with the ball or pin. These features are difficult to engage and lock if the alignment between the alignment hole and the pin is not accurate. If there are debris (eg mud and ice), the spring action may stop. Due to the pin-locking action, there may be a clicking sound that is inappropriate for work in a hidden place. It can be a simple pin or screw driver on the strap that is inserted through a hole in the security feature, the aligned positioning device and the mounting fixture. In one example of the prior art (which can be viewed at the URL "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWubyTB6OxQ"), the mobile surveillance trailer comprises a high speed mounting system. The high-speed mounting system includes a small positioning device with an attached mounting plate, a mating shelf that is rigidly attached to the mast of the surveillance trailer, a linear fixing pin on the strap, and an electrical cable. The positioning device is designed to be attached to the fixed structure by means of bolts, but by doing so, the bolts are provided in the accessory base plate. The shelf on the plate and trailer has a tongue engagement in the groove, which allows the positioning device base plate to slide into the guide on the shelf. To avoid the situation where the base plate slides back along the groove, a simple fixing pin is dropped through the alignment holes on the base plate and shelf. The cable for power and control is then connected to the positioning device. The operator may not be satisfied with this design. The mounting plate is fixed to a standard positioning device, which causes an increase in weight. In this case, although modularity that does not require the use of a mobile mount for fixed mounting that does not require high-speed cutting is obtained, the mounting shape is heavier than a design in which the mounting shape is integrated with the fixed shaft of the positioning device. The tongue in the groove may not be ideal in the difficult situations described above. Since the mating interface is closely mounted between the tongue and groove, the operator must carefully slide the plate forward after carefully aligning the tongue in the grooved fixture. If there are debris and ice on the grooved fixture, it can be a hindrance to the meshing plate, and if the positioning device falls and the precision meshing tongue bends as often occurs in the field of this device, these proximity Tracks with dense interfaces may not be interoperable.

  Referring to FIG. 63, a rigid and recoil-free attachment device 601 is shown for devices that need to be quickly and easily installed and removed. The meshing procedure provided by this design requires no equipment, requires only a few steps, and requires little delicate exercise skills. Various features on the fixed shaft 125 of the positioning device can be attached to a fixed or fixed mounting fixture on or attached to the mobile platform 602 for tight engagement. In the illustrated embodiment, the platform can be a tripod. Referring to FIG. 61, the base of the pan shaft 125 may include three legs 615, 625, 635. An engagement rod (“rod”), which is a rod or wedge 603, may be provided between the two legs 615, 625. The rod may be a separate piece, threaded and firmly attached between the two legs 615,625. Alternatively, the rod 603 may be an integral feature between the legs 615 and 625 or may be integrated with the legs 615 and 625. Referring to FIG. 63, the rod 603 meshes with an engagement notch 604 (“notch”) in an engagement mounting plate 605 (“mounting plate”). The interlocking mounting plate 605 can be attached to or integral with the mounting base platform 602. The positioning device 101 is gripped by the installer, and the rear legs 615, 625 and the rod 603 can contact the end 606 of the mounting plate. The mounting plate 605 may comprise an upright guide post 607 at this end 606. These guide posts 607 are angled and chamfered to receive, guide, funnel-like the legs 615, 625 and the rod 603 to allow the operator to slide the positioning device over the mounting plate 605. When moving, it is moved to a desired position. Such a funnel feature can be corrected for inaccurate placement by an operator (eg, use of coarse exercise techniques only under stress, wearing gloves, reduced visibility). After alignment, required for tongue in groove to pull positioning device 101 towards operator, move away from side 606, and continuously guide and align tripod with funnel feature 607 No fine interaction is necessary. Thereafter, the rod 603 comes into contact with the upper slope 608 in the mounting plate 605, and the pan shaft 125 rises from the rear legs 615 and 625. The slope 608 may be curvilinear or may be reversed in direction to form a V or U-shaped wedge 604 ("wedge"), thereby allowing the rod and attached positioning to be The situation where the device 101 further moves is avoided. The upper portion 609 of the wedge 604 is an obstacle that overhangs the engagement area with the rod 603 and functions as a roof that shields the wedge from debris and weather. The rod and wedge surfaces are straight and can be manufactured with high precision to be a flat surface to maintain high precision alignment of the pan shaft 125 and the mounting plate 605 so that the positioning device is the same Can have a height platform. One or more spirit levels 611, which can be included in the mounting plate or pan shaft, provide a horizontal base for the positioning device 101, which can include sensors (eg, digital embedded to detect mounting errors). compass). The third front leg portion 635 on the pan shaft 125 has the same length as the rear leg portions 615 and 625 so that the third front leg portion 635 can be mounted horizontally above the mounting plate 605. Alternatively, the front leg 635 may be longer than the other legs by a size equal to the vertical height difference in which the rod 603 is raised by the lower slope 608 of the wedge. The leg height, rod position and wedge size may be optimized by inclining the base of the pan shaft 125 in a direction that is close to or away from the user's pulling direction. By providing the rod 603 closely within the wedge 604, the positioning device 101 is constrained in two axes, but not in the axis on which the positioning device 101 is pressed or pulled, and without further locking mechanisms. It is not held firmly in place.

  A manual toggle clamp can be used to pull the positioning device and lock it in place. Toggle clamps can have a clamping force of hundreds of pounds and are designed not only to hold firmly in place, but also to hold simple devices, even if the positioning device falls or shakes violently on an off-road vehicle. Yes, there are only a few work steps, and almost no delicate motor skills are required during installation or removal. This point is described in detail in EP 1169235B1 (“Toggle-clamp for fastener”). US Pat. No. 5,165,148 (“Toggle Clamp with Locking Mechanism”) and European Patent No. 1967324B1 (““ "Universal locking mechanism for a clamp"). Referring to FIG. 64, the toggle clamp can be securely attached to the mounting surface and can include a hook, latch, lasso, or magnet 613 (“latch”) that can be extended to an anchor point on the device. By pulling the clamp to the locked position, the device is pulled to the anchor by a latch. When fully extended, the clamp may be equipped with a safety mechanism to prevent the inadvertent release of the clamp.

  With reference to FIGS. 61 and 62, in the illustrated embodiment, the toggle clamp device comprises an anchor 612. The anchor 612 can be rigidly attached to the pan shaft 125. Threads, threaded inserts or other fastening points are provided on the shaft 125 as a standard mounting procedure. The toggle clamp 617 can be firmly attached to the mounting plate 605. When the user pushes the clamp open, the hook-type latch 613 can extend and engage the anchor 612. With the toggle clamp 617 fully pulled out, the rod 603 can be sufficiently pulled up the slope 608 of the wedge 604, and the rod can be securely inserted into the wedge without causing loose attachment or play between the rod and the wedge. And can be held. Referring to FIG. 64, the thumb paddle 618 that can be included in the toggle clamp 617 allows the hook 613 to be positioned with one hand, which allows the rod 603 to be in place in the wedge 604 with the other hand of the operator. Can be retracted and held. Toggle clamp 617 may also include a safety lever 619. The safety lever 619 avoids the situation where the clamp 617 moves to the opening position unintentionally due to shock, vibration or operator error. The funnel guide post 607 and wedge structure 604 in the mounting plate 605 can be thick and high strength features and can resist dents as opposed to the tongue guide in the groove. The mating surface of the rod can be shielded uniformly on the underside of the pan shaft 125 held between the two rear legs 615,625. Complex mounting shapes are exposed and are hardly damaged by dropping, and the possibility of debris entering the interlocking features is low.

  Referring to FIG. 63, as a further improvement, the operator can eliminate the installation and removal procedure steps by integrating the push-pull type electrical connector plug 142 with the mounting plate 605. The connector 142 can mate with a mating push-pull connector receptacle 141 in the pan shaft 125. The sizes and angles of the mounting shaft flanges 622 of the pan shaft legs 615, 625, 635, the pan shaft slope 608, and the mating connectors 141, 142 are set to sizes and angles so that the connector can be engaged by the user pulling out the toggle clamp 617. Is done. By adjusting the length of the hook 613, the draw stroke, the separation between the anchor 612 and the clamp, and the shape of the wedge 604 with a high degree of accuracy, the full stroke of the clamp 617 ensures the complete engagement of the connectors 141 and 142 and the rod 603. Full engagement into wedge 604 is performed. The rod, wedge, or both can be coated with a deformable coating (eg, an elastomer). As a result, a grip between the rod and the wedge is obtained while relaxing some of the constraints that the connectors 141, 142 have certain play and tolerances in pin and socket alignment.

  Mobile devices such as the positioning device 101 may be heavy and cumbersome for the operator to carry and handle. Due to fatigue and the absence of a gripping surface, the device can fall to the ground and be damaged. In the prior art, the pull-out handle is fastened to the payload or positioning device so that it can be transported by the user, but the handle is obstructive and causes an increase in weight. Also, in the prior art, an eyebolt is attached to the positioning device, allowing the operator to stretch and transport the finger, but it is too large for fingers or fingers wearing gloves, May not be able to pass through, and the steel bolt increases the weight and may increase the screw hole for the thread of a large eyebolt. A rifle sling is a transport system that is well known to military users of high performance monitoring devices. In one such sling system, high speed connect / disconnect “QC / QD” hardware is used to install and remove the sling in seconds (US 2012/0174458 A1 “Detachable Swivel and Associated”). Described in “Mount”). Similar rifle slings can be individually adjusted to carry objects other than firearms (eg, as described in US Pat. No. 6,932,254 B2 “Sling for carrying objects”). Another transport accessory provided by the described sling manufacturer is the universal wire loop strap (available at the URL "http://www.blueforcegeear.com/universal-wire-loop/"). These are all lightweight, flexible yet removable transport systems that make the positioning device easier to transport and more resistant to damage due to drops.

  Referring to FIG. 63, the positioning device 101 may comprise a threaded hole or post 614 for attaching a transport handle, strap or sling. In one embodiment, the two posts 614 on the pan shaft 125 can accept standard QC / QD hardware for rifle slings. In another embodiment, a smooth hole or post on the pan shaft 125 can receive a rope or wire loop (eg, on a universal wire loop).

  Turning to the detailed description of the electronic system and referring to FIG. 4, a block diagram of the positioning device 101 is illustrated. In order to position the payload devices 134, 136 using the positioning device 101, power can be provided from the power source 571 to electrical components (eg, the pan motor 102 and tilt motor 112 in the housing 111). The power source 571 can also provide power to the external controller 573 in many embodiments. The power source 571 can be a battery, a generator, a connection to a power grid, or any other suitable power source. Thus, the power source 571 can have an AC or DC input and can provide output electricity as an AC or DC voltage. In one embodiment, positioning device 101 is internally isolated AC / DC or DC for providing regulated power to pan motor 102, tilt motor 112 or any other electrical device mounted on or within positioning device 101. A DC / DC converter 118 may be provided. The selection of the voltage configuration of the power supply 571 and the voltage configuration of the converter 118 can be determined based on various factors (eg, motor compatibility, transmission loss in cable extension, and power supply (grid vs battery)). The external power supply 571 is generally a CCTV power supply. In the United States, the external power supply 571 operates based on an electrical input of 110-220 VAC. Generate up to -28 VAC, 12-28 VDC or 57 VDC. For the output of the power source 571, DC output can be selected for a short cable, and AC can be selected for a long cable to minimize transmission loss. The internal converter 118 is selected to provide a regulated AC or DC output so that it can support the motor's native AC or DC operation. The input of internal converter 118 may be selected as AC or DC based on the output from power supply 571.

  Positioning device 101 can also communicate with controller 573 and HID 575 to control the position of devices 134, 136. The operator can input a control command to the HID 575. When the command signal is transmitted to the controller 573, the controller 573 converts the command signal into individual control signals for the pan motor and the tilt motor. The user also inputs device control signals to the HID 575. When these device control signals are transmitted to the controller 573, the controller 573 transmits the control signals to the payload devices 134 and 136. Output signals can be obtained from several payload devices 134, 136 (eg, cameras, distance measuring devices, voice monitoring devices, and other mechanisms). Output signals from the payload devices 134 and 136 can be transmitted to the controller 573 and the user HID 575. In one embodiment, HID 575 may be remote from controller 573. In these embodiments, the controller 573 and the HID 575 may each comprise a transceiver for wired or wireless communication. The controller 573 may be an example of an external processing module, typically video processing and encoding, video recording to a hard drive, automatic tracking of moving objects, gyro stabilization, control protocol translation, and (from RS232 / 422 Media conversion (which can be optical fiber or RF radio conversion). A further internal controller 574 is housed in the housing 111 for motor drive, shaft position sensing, video channel switching, environmental sensor (eg temperature) monitoring, and protocol translation from various third party CCTV controls. can do. In the advanced implementation of controller 574, all tasks of external controller 573 can be taken.

  Referring to FIG. 36, the core technology of the positioning device of the present invention is a bearing system design to build a smaller, lighter, simpler, less expensive, more reliable product around this bearing platform. Enable. The described positioning device embodiments may comprise a bearing that pans the payload and may comprise a bearing for tilting the payload. The four-point contact turntable bearing 391 may have a robust load handling capability and can operate acceptably as the only bearing that supports the rotating shaft. A second support bearing or bushing can be added to the shaft in the case of a device that is remote from the maintenance logistics or in a deployment where reliability is paramount (eg, combat and rescue). Referring to FIG. 17, the payload 136 is a distance from the tilt shaft gear 131 and may induce a high moment load. If there is no concentricity in the tilt shaft 105 or there is misalignment, the shaft 105 may be polished at the point where the shaft 105 enters the hole in the wall 123. Also, if the shaft bends, the dynamic shaft seal 152 on the side 123 can deform as leakage occurs. By adding a second bearing or bushing 144 into the wall side 123, shaft deflection can be limited. The bearing 144 of the tilt shaft 105 can be a radial bearing, and the outer ring is press-fitted closely into a hole on the housing side portion 123. The close press fit is an interference fit and a softer mounting surface material surrounds the radial bearing race steel for permanent mounting. Bearing placement holes can be made with high precision surfaces. High precision surfaces are finished with a dimensional error of a few thousandths of an inch or less, which makes static after bearing steel is warped by an undersized hole under conditions of several tons of force during pressure mounting The possibility of remaining as a load is reduced. In some cases, manufacturing or assembly defects can occur and in press-fit mounting, the bearing 144 may not be flush with the hole, resulting in the loss of even concentric movement of the shaft. Due to such an uneven arrangement, misalignment errors can occur, resulting in uneven loads on the shaft and damage to the paired bearings or other shaft components. Press-fit bearings may be improperly placed or damaged during or after installation, and the system may not function as intended. Since the precision mounting surface is deformed to produce an interference fit, there is no second chance to reposition the bearing. Since it is not possible to press-fit a new bearing on the surface, any chassis or shaft that has been pressed into a damaged bearing must be discarded along with the bearing, resulting in very high costs. The mounting process can also include the application of heat or several tons of force, and if improper, can lead to bearing damage even before it is delivered. Even if the press-fit bearing in the product is in perfect condition at the time of shipment from the factory, impact, vibration or contaminants can occur in the deployed device, which can lead to permanent damage or breakage of the bearing. In order to prevent the shaft load that causes damage from being transmitted to the radial bearing 144, a loose press-fit with the tilt shaft 105 is provided in the inner ring so that the shaft can be removed. Do not apply to bearings. A press fit that loosely matches or disengages causes little deformation on the mounting hole or shaft, but is not as rigid as the bond. In the case of loose press-fit, the axial load is not transmitted into the bearing, so this bearing 144 can use rolling elements and raceways that are optimized for radial and moment loads (eg radial ball bearings). Referring to FIG. 30, the bearing 144 may be a bearing having an outer ring mounted on the shaft mount bracket 145, and may be provided with close press-fitting. The bracket 145 can be made with holes with precision tolerances and surface finishes to properly fit the bearings 144. If the bearing 144 is improperly pressed, the bearing 144 and the bracket 145 can be discarded before mounting into the housing 111. If the bearing is damaged during service, the tilt shaft 105 can be slid on the inner ring by loose press fitting, and the fasteners and alignment pins 138 used to fix the anchor in the wall side 323 (FIG. The bracket 145 can be removed from the wall side portion 123 by removing (not shown). Referring to FIG. 21, the outer ring of the radial bearing 143 includes an integral flange. The integral flange may include mounting holes for securely mounting the flange-like bearings 143 into the holes on the housing side 123. This integral bearing is simpler and less expensive than mounting the non-flange bearing 144 in a separate bracket 145. When the flange and the mounting hole are used together with the fastener, the wall side portion 323 becomes complicated and cannot have a high load capacity and alignment as the press-fit bearing, but the flange-shaped bearing 143 can be removed. Further, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the highly integrated monocoque housing 111 is discarded due to damage to the permanent press-fit bearing 144.

  In precision positioning devices, even minor damage to rolling elements and tracks can lead to unacceptable friction and torque mismatch. In widely deployed prior art examples, multiple pairs of seal radial bearings (eg, bearings 144), perhaps deep groove radial conrad bearings, are used, and in these positioning products are associated with outdoor mobile robots. Several customers have reported frequent damage under environmental threats and miscellaneous handling. Another purchaser of military surveillance gimbals has recently complained that existing pan / tilt positioning devices have repeatedly failed and damaged bearings early after miscellaneous transport and handling in military personnel and vehicles. Out. The failure mechanism is a complex combination of moments and bearing damage from thrust loads. Because the press fit is permanent, the large housing panel and shaft assembly attached to the damaged bearing must be replaced with the bearing, resulting in expensive and time-consuming repairs for the manufacturer or defense logistics department. In addition, the service function is stopped for a long time for the user.

  The load vector applied to the bearing can be classified into radial, axial direction, moment, and a combination of these three, and can be applied in one direction or in both directions. There are various bearing designs to individually adjust the load capacity for a particular application. An important discriminator in the selection process is the rolling element shape. Contact bearings typically comprise spherical or cylindrical rolling elements. In general, the spherical shape is more accurate and less costly than the cylindrical shape. Tapered and crossed roller bearings have been found to be mechanically heavier, but ball bearings are more suitable for smooth high precision robots (eg positioning device 101) when extremely high load capability is required ing. Radial ball bearings (eg, balls 135 in bearing 144) are optimized to handle high radial loads, but are not the best option to handle other types of loads. Deep groove type radial bearings have an axial load handling feature, but can only handle moments or compound loads without a second conrad bearing further down the shaft. Further, since the ball separator cage having the deep groove type Conrad arrangement configuration cannot increase the number of balls, the load capacity is low as compared with other arrangement configurations having the same bearing size. Angular contact bearings handle moments and axial loads better than deep groove radials, but are not equipped to handle radial loads or bi-directional thrust, so common single angle and radial bearings Even in this combination, the device is vulnerable to bidirectional axial loads. Since the robot (for example, the positioning device 101) can receive a large impact and vibration in an arbitrary direction, there is no gap in the coverage range of the load vector. A more all-round option is a four-point contact bearing. This is because four-point contact bearings handle each load direction, combined load and bi-directional load well with a particularly high resistance to moments and thrust loads. Referring to FIG. 42, a detailed view of the rolling elements and raceways is shown, and in the view of the bearing 391, the ball bearing 135 is shown rolling in the groove 393 formed in the inner ring 133 and the outer ring 137. Yes. The shape of the groove 393 is concave from the bearing 135, so that only the edge 399 of the groove is in physical contact with the ball bearing 135. A groove of the kind shown is a Gothic arch track. The bearing element may be a single row of four point contact balls and the contact angle may be 30 degrees. In one embodiment, the groove 393 of the bearing 391 can be a Gothic arch type track and is in contact at four points on the ball 135. This configuration is known as a four point contact bearing and provides bearing support for radial, axial, moment and compound loads. The four-point Gothic arch configuration may be less rigid and static load capacity than cylindrical roller bearings, but is good, smooth, and slow, implemented by a long range monitoring platform and robotic arm When the radial dynamic load, which is important for motion tracking and aiming, is low, the starting torque and the actuation friction force are low. Since loose press-fitting is desirable between the tilt shaft 105 and the support bearing 144, almost no axial load is generated in the bearing 144, whereby the radial bearing is optimized for the load that is likely to occur. The bearing 144 is selected as The bearing 144 can be a thin bearing, which minimizes size and weight, but must be sized in consideration of the radial and moment loads expected at this point.

  High precision positioning applications require extremely rigid bearings to maintain high reproducibility of position indexing, and driving with low torque traction is beneficial for slow and delicate movements of position indexing. is there. Single row crossed roller bearings are the best alternative for applications requiring higher stiffness and lower torque to obtain single row rolling elements with small size and minimal weight in a 4-point contact ball configuration It is. In a common embodiment of flat mount bearings, crossed roller bearings use extremely perpendicular rows of cylindrical rollers instead of balls to achieve very high load capabilities in applications such as heavy industrial machinery. Referring to FIG. 45, an embodiment of an external gear type turntable bearing 391 includes an outer ring 137 and an inner ring 133 that slide relative to each other via a single row of cylindrical roller bearings 335. Since the rotating shafts are alternately oriented in the “V” -shaped grooves 393, the positioning of the roller element allows the turntable bearing 391 to accept all combinations of thrust load, radial load, and moment load. A cylindrical roller of roughly the same size as the ball has a greater load carrying capacity than the ball alone, but all balls in a four-point orientation work together to handle all directions once, but load only in one direction. For each roller that is transported, the crossed roller orientation reduces moment and thrust capability compared to a four point contact design using ball bearings. The disadvantages related to this moment and thrust are offset by the gain in stiffness and stiffness provided by the larger contact surfaces and geometry of the roller elements, and the gain in rotational torque traction performance is This is achieved because it is directed to transmit the load in only one direction instead of each direction. As implemented in the device of the present invention, turntable bearings of about 12 inches or less have few bearing elements and are therefore not significantly affected by the loss of rotational torque in a four-point design across crossed rollers. Absent. Also, the small turntable bearing size prevents the four point configuration stiffness rating from accumulating and unacceptably degrading the accuracy and reproducibility required for large long distance positioning devices.

  From other disadvantages, crossed rollers may be more suitable for embodiments where the outer diameter of the turntable bearing is 4 inches or greater. Cylindrical rollers are heavy and always occupy more space than ball bearings, and cylindrical rollers are generally less accurate than spherical balls and are more expensive and assembled bearings Has a small central hole 167 for a given outer diameter. The center of the turntable bearing 391 may be a cylindrical opening 167 that allows other components to be placed through the opening 167 (eg, wiring harness and slip ring), but in the embodiment of the miniature positioning device 101, This opening is severely constrained when bulky cylindrical roller elements and tracks are used instead of small ball elements.

  Another factor that hinders the use of cylindrical roller bearings such as crossed roller arrangements is that many flat mounts and two-piece outer rings of crossed roller bearings have seams around the circumference, allowing gearing with the outer diameter Sex can be denied. The teeth at both halves have a gap in the middle and the tooth bisector may not be fully aligned. Perhaps one half of the split ring can overhang over the other half. It is often impossible to press-fit separate pulleys onto both rings because the pre-load is applied to the split ring by press-fitting. Referring to FIG. 46, the outer ring 237 may be divided to make an integral gear device impossible. Furthermore, cylindrical roller bearings with high load capability often require additional presser flanges and buttress holes to achieve the rated load capability, which increases weight, size, cost, and complexity. Referring to FIG. 37, ball bearing arrangements (eg, Gothic arch four-point contact bearings) are more common in smaller and lighter packages than in tapered or crossed roller bearings used in the prior art. It is cheaper while performing smooth movement. The mounting holes 395 can avoid harmful substances related to press-fitting and can add balls without ring division.

  Referring to FIG. 46, the turntable bearing 391 has a multi-roller configuration that orients a row of cylindrical rollers 335 in each of the three load directions. Although these three roller bearings can handle all loads, they are cumbersome, heavy and expensive for a small positioning device, but for proper load handling and stiffness of a scaled up embodiment of the positioning device 101 May be necessary. Recently, bearing manufacturers have announced two-row roller bearings with small cylindrical rollers. This smallest diameter is about 12 inches. Such bearings can have the high rigidity, low torque, and very high load capability required by large positioning devices intended for long distance payloads.

  A third suitable alternative to the four point contact turntable bearing 391 is an integrated super double angle contact bearing and track assembly. This external track is not divided and the external gear profile can be chopped into a track or a separate pulley ring can be firmly attached around the track. In addition, the outer race can be widened to produce an outer ring having mounting holes and alignment holes. Referring to FIG. 43, the turntable bearing 391 may have an outer ring 137 with a mounting hole and may have an external gear profile on the outer periphery. The inner ring 237 is split to allow assembly, which is a ring that is held together by a presser flange or fastener and preloaded. As with all bearings considered to be used in the positioning device 101, the balls and raceways can be protected from contamination by the face seal 160, and are further used to increase the rigidity of the free bearing using a strong shield 161. Can protect. Additional rows of balls will add torque traction and weight. Therefore, the ball 235 can be composed of a lighter material such as silicon nitride. Silicon nitride balls are lighter than iron balls and can be treated lightly with oil instead of applying oil to increase the residual power under conditions that limit the use of oil. Silicon nitride balls are very hard and do not follow the trajectory like iron balls and have smaller contact ellipses. This reduced contact can reduce friction and starting torque and move the shaft finer and better, but has the drawback that the impact load capability can be reduced by approximately 30% in a single-row four-point configuration. Occur. In a high impact environment, although there are few options for the embodiment of the single-row bearing 391, this vulnerability can be eliminated by using a double row. By using the double bearing 391, the silicon nitride balls 235 are alternately provided with the slightly smaller steel spacer balls 135, thereby eliminating the particle dropout associated with the ball separator 162 and the separator ring. However, it is not possible to pre-load steel balls. Referring to FIG. 44, the split inner ring 233 includes an integrated fastener. These integral fasteners fill the balls and assemble the ring with balls 135 by preloading. The ring 233 may comprise another hole pattern for attaching the bearing to the surface with fasteners. The outer ring 137 can be a one-piece ring and can comprise an external gear profile. The balls 135 can be steel balls and can be separated by a separator ring 162 made of Delrin, brass or similar low friction material. Two rows of balls may have two contact points between each ball and the trajectory at point 399. The contact point of the double bearing 391 in FIG. 44 indicates a face-to-face type ultra double angle type contact bearing, and the contact point of the double bearing 391 in FIG. 43 indicates an anti-parallel ultra double angle type contact bearing. Show.

  In the existing technology used to improve the reliability of the rotating shaft by combining the bearings, the press-fitting level is varied by combining different bearings. When different combinations of bearings are mounted on the rotating shaft, the press fit on each track can be adjusted closely or gently to guide the bearings that are equipped to best handle the load. For example, a sub-optimal decision in shaft design is to close-fit both bearings (often both radial bearings) onto the shaft. Due to thermal expansion and contraction of the shaft length, unintended axial preload may occur at moderate temperature fluctuations. Due to expansion and contraction at extreme temperatures, the ball or track can be permanently deformed. In order to reduce the risk of this axial load, finer machining tolerances and reduced product operating loads are required. Alternatively, a loose press fit or slip on one of the bearings is provided on the shaft so that the shaft slips from a bearing track on which the shaft is loosely mounted due to an axial load (eg, shock or thermal expansion). You may do it. In FIG. 17, the radial bearing 144 can have a loose press fit on the tilt shaft 105, or all or most of the axial load transmitted along the tilt shaft 105 can be handled by the four-point contact structure of the tilt bearing 131. Good. Angular and radial bearings can be combined on the shaft to handle compound loads with different strengths (for example, near-pressurized radial bearings handling axial and moment loads while handling radial loads) However, the load sharing between the two is simple or low cost, such as when using a single bearing designed to ensure that the full load that the device will experience remains. There may not be. In the case of a close-fit press-fit bearing, it may be removed from an improper installation. Due to this invalid bearing, the second bearing is under an improper load for the second bearing to handle alone. May be exposed.

  The tilt shaft bearing 131 can handle a large load generated on the tilt shaft 105 with high reliability. The four-point contact bearing can handle all predictable loads independently, so the radial bearing 144 can be unnecessary. If the shaft is reliably distorted and additional design safety factors are desired, the bearing 144 can be a lightweight, small and thin radial bearing, and providing a loose press fit on the shaft 105 can accommodate most loads. It can be guided to the turntable bearing 131. This radial bearing can handle a radial load by limiting the wobbling of the non-concentric shaft, and the moment arm length of the shaft 105 does not exceed the moment load capacity of the four-point contact turntable bearing. Can be limited. In embodiments where the shaft penetrates the second side of the housing (eg, embodiments where the tilt shaft 105 penetrates the housing side 123 or the pan-through shaft 425 of FIG. 34 penetrates the cover 413), Bushings can be attached around the shaft to provide smooth and constrained movement of the shaft through the second wall.

  The turntable bearing 391 facilitates different mounting configurations to support various shaft shapes to meet various design goals. Referring to FIG. 36, the above detailed view of the turntable bearing 391 is illustrated. Referring to FIGS. 37 to 41, a cross-sectional side view of the turntable bearing 391 is shown. 42-46 are part of a detailed view of an embodiment of a turntable bearing raceway. As with most contact bearings, the turntable bearing of FIGS. 36-41 includes bearing tracks 137,133. The bearing tracks 137 and 133 rotate with each other via rolling elements (for example, ball bearings 135). Unlike most bearings, the tracks 137, 133 are expanded at a greater rate than normal, thereby providing planar mounting lands 166, 168 and holes 395 in the glands 166, 168, which are connected to the planar shaft and housing surface. Fasten on top.

  To facilitate different mounting configurations, the height of the planar surfaces 166, 168 of the inner ring 133 and the outer ring 137 can be offset. For example, when the turntable bearing 391 is rigidly attached to a planar surface of an object (eg, positioning device housing 111), a portion of the inner ring 133 or outer ring 137 can be rigidly attached to the planar surface. The unattached portion of the turntable bearing 391 can move relative to the fixed ring and should be able to rotate freely. The surface of the rotating ring can be concave with respect to the adjacent fixed ring for free rotation. Moreover, when the ring plane surface is made the same height, it leads to contact and pressing of the ring that is not bolted to the flat mounting surface. Due to the clearance from the flat planar mounting surface, there is a slight height difference between the rotating ring and the stationary ring. As shown in FIG. 41, in one embodiment, the inner ring 133 has a planar surface 166 that is slightly higher than the adjacent surface 168 of the outer ring 137 so that vertical clearance occurs between the rings. The surface 168 of the outer ring 137 can be firmly attached to the lower planar structure, in which case the inner ring 133 is free to rotate and vice versa. These features also allow the inner ring 133 or the outer ring 137 to freely rotate when the turntable bearing 391 is attached to a large planar structure. Referring to FIG. 5, the pan turntable bearing 127 shown in FIG. 41 is in contact with the flat lower side of the pan bearing flange 129 and the raised inner ring 133, and the slightly lower ring 137 is located below the pan bearing flange 129. The upper planar surface 168 can be rotated without rubbing. In other embodiments, the surface 166 of the inner ring 133 can be lower than the planar surface 168 of the outer ring 137. Referring to FIG. 40, the inner and outer rings may be high-strength materials with a minimum thickness to handle fastener and rolling element loads. Instead of providing an offset on the bearing, by providing a raised annular boss on the mounting surface, one ring can be offset and rotated freely from the mounting surface. Referring to FIG. 6, the inner ring 133 has a minimum thickness, and the outer ring 137 maintains a thickness suitable for the belt. An annular boss on the lower side of the pan bearing flange 129 protrudes downward inside the bearing and reaches the upper planar surface 166. Instead of accumulating the bearing ring thickness so that an offset is obtained as in FIG. 41, if such material is heavy steel, the bearing surface of the lighter material (eg, aluminum) will allow By projecting inwardly to meet the planar surface, steel can be substituted, resulting in a reduction in the total weight of the positioning device 101.

  6-12 and 14-16, the pan bearing 127 is a turntable bearing, and is configured with an inner ring 133 firmly connected to the housing and an outer ring 137 firmly connected to the pan shaft. Similarly, in the embodiment of the tilt device of FIGS. 17 to 22, the tilt shaft gear 131 is a turntable bearing provided with an outer ring 137 firmly connected to the tilt shaft 105 and an inner ring 133 firmly connected to the housing wall. . FIG. 17 shows the flexibility in setting the shaft diameter size. Such flexibility is obtained by attaching each ring to a flange. That is, by making the diameter of the tilt shaft flange 107 extremely narrow, the hole in the wall side portion 121 can be minimized, or it can be made extremely wide like the pan shaft 125. FIG. 13 is an exception and shows that any ring can be connected to the pan shaft. However, even in such an embodiment, since it is possible to expand the comprehensive load handling and easily install without press-fitting, it is possible to obtain a significant improvement over the prior art. The additional advantage of integration and compaction made possible by the outer ring fulfilling the dual purpose is not obtained. The shaft flange 229 has a gear-type pulley that overhangs the outer ring, thereby compacting the shaft in the vertical direction. However, there is a possibility that an increase in misalignment and a decrease in concentricity may occur in the movement of the belt and the pulley. It becomes higher than the gear type bearing.

  The press-fit bearing is mounted in a precision bore and shaft that aligns the bearing and shaft components. High precision shoulders on these bearings are expensive and it is also expensive to produce close tolerances and high quality surface finishes on the mounted holes. This is a more expensive installation than if the flanged bearing is bolted down, but it is an effective way to align all shaft components. The field of the invention aims at the advantage that the mounting structure via one or more removable races can be repaired when the bearing is damaged. Bearings with mounting holes use removable fasteners and are usually mounted on a flat surface and are known in the art as flat mount bearings. The turntable bearing 391 can include a mounting hole 395. In one embodiment, some or all of the inner diameters of the mounting holes 395 can be threaded. Screws, bolts or other suitable fasteners can be placed through the mounting holes 395 to secure the turntable bearing 391 to other positioning device components. The inner ring 133 and the outer ring 137 of the turntable bearing can be provided with mounting holes 395. The mounting hole 395 allows the turntable bearing 391 to be firmly connected to other objects by screw bolts or other fasteners. The mounting hole 395 also eliminates the need to provide a presser flange and hole for mounting the bearing 391 (which may be necessary for many crossed roller and flat mount bearings).

  Shaft alignment is important for high precision aiming of the payload, so an additional feature of the shaft is the mounting of a rotational position sensing device. This position sensor can be used to coordinate the drive of the motor to perform the desired rotational orientation of the payload. A limit switch can be tripped by a simple binary flag to avoid excessive rotation. In devices with a hard stop that mechanically avoids rotation beyond a certain angle, the motor or brake is activated by such a limit switch to avoid the situation where the shaft stop collides with the chassis stop. . In the case of a shaft that does not include a slip ring, the cable can be attached to or enter the shaft, leading to excessive deflection of the wire or even withdrawal of the wire from the socket due to excessive rotation. The rotational position sensing device may comprise a disk or protruding feature rigidly attached to the shaft, and the read head senses the position of the disk or feature that rotates with the shaft. This feature can be an armature that blocks light rays in the read head as it passes through a preset position. Alternatively, a lead sensor or other magnetic sensor may be activated by embedding a magnet in the armature. If the cable is in the vicinity of the armature, there is a risk that the cable will get caught by the arm and the cable will be cut, or that the cable will get caught and the cable will come out of the socket. In this case, a continuous disk can be used instead of the protruding arm. The disc may have a hole at a predetermined reference position aligned with the read head, thereby obstructing or passing the beam of the optical read head. The disk may also include one or more rigidly mounted magnets for triggering the magnetic read head. More advanced position sensors include increment encoders and absolute encoders. Incremental encoders are typically patterned disks that allow light to pass or block, or similarly generate a magnetic field, with regularly spaced lines or features. The absolute coder has more details in the coding pattern, the electronics can process the read head to know the position, and no binary flag and startup calibration routines are required for the increment coder. is there.

  Referring to FIG. 17, what has been described above is the manner in which the tilt shaft key 191 is obstructed by the flange surface 628 by integrating a simple mechanical hard stop with the tilt shaft and tilt shaft mounting flange 241. In the modification shown in FIG. 22, the tilt shaft flange pin 108 is obstructed by the shaft mounting bracket 128. In another embodiment in FIG. 23, the pin 108 is provided on the opposite side of the tilt shaft flange 107 and collides with a feature 109 on the lower side of the cover 113. As the shafts rotate at high speeds in these stops, the stops can be damaged, so the shaft rotation position is monitored by integrating a warning sensor with the shaft. By placing the read head 146 on the housing 111 with high accuracy, the features on the tilt shaft flange 147 are read out. The flange 147 may be rigidly attached or removed and may include a keyway or other alignment feature (to reduce any alignment error between the disk and the true shaft position). . If the shaft mounts 128, 145 are removable brackets, the dwell pin 138 can help maintain true rotational readout between the shaft and the read head. Similarly, the close contact relationship between the mechanical stop portion and the roof stop portion 109 of the flange 147 and the tilt shaft pin 108 can be maintained by the dwell pin or the keyway in the connecting connection of the tilt shaft 105. An alignment pin 138 in the hole 396 of the turntable bearing 131 can also assist in the angular alignment of the disk 147 so that the disk 147 remains parallel to the sensor 146 reading slot. By using sensors and closely aligned shafts, the controller 573 or the integrated motor control electronics in the motor senses the shaft rotation angle and initiates braking to avoid collisions into the machine stops To do.

  An advantage of a turntable bearing (eg, 391) is that it functions as a composite bearing and gear in the same housing. Bearings are typically mounted between the shaft and housing via an inner hole and outer circumference, but the addition of mounting holes frees these surfaces. In the prior art, by press-fitting or fastening, gears or pulleys are provided on the shaft in addition to multiple pairs of bearings, so that a tall shaft is provided with several high precision step diameters. Since the outer circumference does not have to be pressed into the chassis or shaft, the geared ring can be pressed around the outside of the bearing, thereby forming the gear or pulley outside the bearing. In the case of geared rings, if they are not mounted very parallel, the connected drive gear or belt can be damaged. To avoid the cause of such errors and the cost increase due to a separate ring, both the bearing and gear / pulley function are achieved by hobbing the gear teeth directly into the outer circumference of the flat mounted turntable bearing. A single package is obtained. Such integration reduces system complexity, size, weight and cost while improving reliability and serviceability. A bearing including an integral gear-type mounting hole has taken the form of a through-ring bearing, but not a bearing 391.

  Slewing bearings have been mainly used only for geared drive with spools or worm gears. This is because the typical application is a large, heavy, fixed position, so the possibility of recoil is low. New types of slewing rings are always small and include applications such as solar trackers and scientific turntables (hence “turntable bearings”), but these bearings are still predominantly gear driven and heavy. And is deployed statically in low duty operation. In contrast, the positioning system is always associated with small devices that aim for miniaturization through further component integration. The diameter of the turntable bearing in the positioning device of the present invention can be from about 2.5 inches to about 12 inches. However, in higher load embodiments, larger through or turntable bearings (e.g., 24 inches or more in diameter) can be used. In small mobile applications, when the reaction is almost zero and there is no tooth breakage or bite, the synchronous belt driven turntable bearings provide a more robust and smaller drive than the bearing combinations used in the prior art Can be obtained with higher dynamic combined load capability. The belted outer ring also eliminates the complexity of providing separate shaft gears and shafts when installing gears or cutting directly into the shaft. Because a small turntable bearing is used with an integral pulley, the system cost, complexity, size, and weight are lower than in the prior art. Also, by introducing a scalable design into the positioning device of the present invention, smaller or larger positioning devices can be generated, correspondingly with smaller or larger payload capabilities. As payload size and weight increase, the belt or tooth width and tooth profile also need to be increased to accommodate this weight increase. The result is a thicker outer ring geared surface and possibly a larger gear diameter, which increases the gear reduction ratio. As the turntable and belt scale up, the bearing load handling shape also changes from single row variants to two and three row variants, not only to handle larger payloads and the additional weight of larger housings, but also rolling The shape also needs to consider whether torque reduction or increased stiffness is required in larger payloads (eg, for aiming long range cameras with very little angular motion). Therefore, the four-point contact configuration is the best choice for the smallest positioning device, and a single row crossed roller bearing is a suboptimal choice if it requires less dynamic but is rigid, When there is no concern about size and cost rather than load handling and accuracy, a super double angle bearing is selected.

  By selecting any of the bearing configurations illustrated or described in FIGS. 42-46, the advantages and enhancements of the positioning device can be achieved for any diameter bearing. The result of too many variables to assign a specific type of bearing to a specific range of diameters due to different payloads (ie customer preferences for different load environments, costs, weights, or other factor optimizations) It becomes. Therefore, general recommendations and optimums can be identified. A more important consideration is that the chosen bearing configuration handles itself at least moderately for all types of loads. This allows a single bearing to be used instead of a pair of bearings or a pair of bearings acting independently on a shared shaft with an intermediate coupler, reducing cost and complexity, and The final failure of both bearings in the event of a failure of the complementary bearings is also avoided. Low profile thin bearings or bushings can be added to reinforce a single turntable bearing, but it can be disassembled by loosely mounting on the shaft, so even with large turntable bearings alone, The full load vector may be handled more reliably than with some prior art bearing designs.

  Another advantage of the turntable drive is that the gear rotation can be done consistently and concentrically. As with bearing mounting, the pulley or gear may not be placed flat enough on the shaft during press fit, and this error will occur when the pulley is press fit onto the bearing track and the bearing assembly is then press fit onto the shaft. Can double. This misalignment results in wobbling or hanging in the rotation path where balanced concentric rotation is desired for proper belt tracking, gear meshing and payload accuracy purposes. When such uneven movement occurs, it can cause misalignment of gear or belt tooth meshing, uneven belt tension, and uneven torque output. In applications aiming for high accuracy, the output on the drive shaft needs to be predictable, repeatable, and consistent, even for very small inputs from the motor. By mounting the turntable bearing flat and hobbing the gear teeth on the outer ring, the concentric movement of the drive is not spoiled by press fitting, and more consistent and efficient movement is possible.

  In one embodiment, the pan and tilt bearings can be small through ring bearings or turntable bearings. The turntable bearing 391 is manufactured with high accuracy, and the play between the inner ring 133 and the outer ring 137 is inherently smaller than that of a normal bearing. Turntable bearings are a low complexity, lower cost, smaller, lower weight alternative, and are used instead of bearing combinations and crossed roller bearings that also have less play.

  In one embodiment, an object of the present invention is to view and track a target exceeding 5 km from a positioning device. This level of accuracy can be achieved with high preload bearings. High preload reduces vibration, resulting in improved device aiming (eg, lasers and video cameras at long distances) and avoiding video blur. The present invention must also be very quiet so that the monitored target is not aware that it is the target, and the high preload bearing also reduces audible noise output. Preloading the bearing introduces a permanent thrust load to reduce deformation or play resulting from clearance between internal components. By increasing the preload, the advantages of structural rigidity, the tendency of displacement under load, and increased rotational accuracy are obtained. The preload also provides the benefits of reduced escape, vibration, ball bearing skidding and audible noise. However, higher preload increases brake-free torque that results in low sensitivity to minimize motor impulses used in fine movements such as long range tracking. The tilting shaft and housing of the positioning device can rotate up to 1 revolution / second. At this speed, the audible noise of the prototype bearing is a negligible high frequency sound that is expected to be inaudible through the sealed enclosure. In the case of the low speed and low duty cycle of the positioning device of the present invention, no heat is generated from the continuous operation of the bearing, and because of the low speed, no significant vibrations are expected to be generated in the payload device. For these reasons, the cost of adding brake-free torque is likely to be more important than high preload or even moderate preload.

  When the bearing is placed under preload, certain elastic deformation occurs in the bearing. One method for measuring the preload is through elastic deformation. For example, in one embodiment, the preload elastic deformation for pan and tilt bearings can be about 0.0001 to 0.0006 inches. The preload in the positive direction can avoid the occurrence of false surface local corrosion (which can cause premature bearing failure). The pan and tilt bearing preload is determined by the bearing manufacturer and can be adjusted as desired prior to manufacture. In one embodiment, preloading can be performed by changing the size of the ball bearing used. The preload can be determined by adding a small ball bearing and measuring the clearance between the ball and the inner and / or outer ring. Thereafter, these small balls can be removed and replaced with larger balls to obtain the desired bearing preload. The ball diameter is a uniform increment of 0.0001 inches or less. Thus, an appropriate ball diameter can be inserted into the bearing to obtain the desired preload. If it is necessary to change the preload, the ball can be removed from the bearing and replaced with a ball of a different size.

  The low preload can reduce torque traction on the tilt and pan shafts, thereby allowing extremely fine movement without causing any position error due to traction. In other embodiments, if wobble or play is seen in the tilt or pan bearing, replacement with a higher preload ball bearing may be necessary. Wobble or play can be measured using a laser. Another means for quantifying the preload is a means using distortion. Strain is a normalized measure of deformation that indicates the displacement between particles in the body relative to a reference length.

  In preferred embodiments, the bearing may comprise a large percentage complement of the bearing. However, for larger complementary bearings, it may be necessary to add notches formed in the inner and / or outer rings. By aligning the notches in the inner and outer rings, it is possible to place balls in the groove portions of the inner and outer rings of the bearing. This notching may be unnecessary in lower percentage complementary bearings. For example, up to 50% complementary bearings can be assembled without the addition of notches. However, in the case of a 67% complementary bearing, it may be necessary to add a notch to install a ball in the bearing, and the addition of the ball has a higher load capacity. In one embodiment, the ball and inner and outer rings of the bearing are plated with a hard metal (eg, thin high density chromium (TDC)) to obtain a hard contact surface between the ball and the four point contact with the inner and outer rings. be able to.

  A ball separator for maintaining an even distribution of balls around the bearing may be provided between the inner side and the outer ring in the bearing. In one embodiment, the separator may be composed of Delrin or any other similar lubricating material. The difference in rotational resistance due to the separator material is not large, but when a single continuous separator is provided at a pitch that aligns with the bearing, the rolling resistance is lower than when the segmented separator is provided with an open end. About 90% of the rotational resistance in the bearing can arise from a four-point contact design and bearing preload, so there is little impact on the rotary traction by the separator. A significant design challenge affecting smooth and accurate positioning devices is the removal of sub-perceptual shaft misalignment. Types of shaft misalignment include rotation, axis, parallelism, and angle. The misalignment of the rotating shaft results in a payload 134 that is positioned at a different elevation angle than the payload 136. Axial misalignment causes the shaft to be statically pressed or pulled (compressed or tensioned) between bearing mounting points, resulting in an axial preload on structures such as close-fit press bearings. When a deep groove radial (also called a conrad bearing) is combined with a prior art shaft, the radial load capability of the bearing can be significantly reduced if the axial preload is inadequate. Parallel misalignment can occur when the shaft is not concentric or the pair of bearing mounting holes are not perfectly linear (ie, one hole is off axis). As a result, radial preloading can occur, and a combination of rotational inconsistencies, reduced radial loads and load capabilities can occur. An angular misalignment may occur where the bearing mounting holes or the mating shaft ends are not perfectly parallel, whether the press fit is close or loose. As a result, a moment preload occurs and the combined load capacity of the moment load and the bearing can be reduced. Axial, parallel, and angular alignment defects increase bearing friction, increase starting torque, inconsistent speed, positioning accuracy and reproduction by preloading shaft bearings out of intended design parameters Bad changes that result in increased sensitivity, increased false Brinering in high vibration environments, reduced maximum speed, and reduced load capacity, improper meshing of belts and gears, and inaccurate rotational position detection.

  Misalignment is introduced into the shaft assembly in several ways. If the shaft passes through two bulkheads, it is often necessary to align the entry point with the exit. Bearings are often attached to each bulkhead to support the shaft at more than one point, and if these bearings are not aligned properly, bearing damage can occur. In small embodiments having fabrication features such as composite shaping or plastic curing, and internal features that are not accessible with milling tools, the final position of the bearing mount within the design parameters may not be controlled. Also, shafts having a plurality of pieces and attachment points have overlapping errors, which increases the risk of errors during installation. Misalignment can also occur due to damage or deformation of the shaft, bearing, flange, or housing.

  There are multiple sources of misalignment that can be introduced at the design stage. Rotating shafts often have stepped diameters, flanges, gears or other features (which prevent mounting through bearing holes or bulkheads). This point has already been described by explaining the mounting directions of various shaft pieces. This necessitates dividing the shaft into multiple assembly pieces, but the interface of each piece introduces imperfections that misalign the shaft. One of the more difficult challenges for the positioning device is integrating a single on-tube shaft with an attachable / removable flange. In one embodiment, the tilt shaft 105 passes through one of the sides of the housing, through the removable rotation sensor flange 147, through the removable tilt shaft flange 107, and through the second side of the housing. Through which the shafts pass through and complete rotational alignment between the payloads attached to each shaft end. The large flange 107 connecting the shaft to the turntable bearing needs to be prevented from becoming a one-piece shaft by this process. This tilt shaft requires an additional structure for attaching a removable flange 107 with a high degree of alignment and strength. The shaft must also have multiple steps in diameter to pass through each lip seal, hole, bearing, and removable flange 107,147. A rigid shaft also does not correct misalignment between bearings and requires expensive equipment and molding to firmly install the bearings, and thus may not be beneficial for a bisecting shaft . Due to the lack of compensation for all piece diameters, their order of installation, and preload, the shaft preferably divides the assembly radially into two or more parts for assembly into the chassis / housing. The contact surfaces of these two shafts induce misalignment.

  In the case where a plurality of bearings cannot be press-fitted onto a shaft by a single press like a single shaft, separate shaft pieces are often required. The fastening of the shaft piece is often performed by a bolt, a set screw, an in-line pin or an integral clamp hub. Set screws, pins 138 and keyways are used when the shaft pieces need to be angled to ensure that the payload is oriented at the same angle. These additional interlocking structures increase the size, weight, complexity and cost of the shaft. The assembled shaft piece may not be as strong as a shaft made from a single piece of material. That is, the bolt and keyway fail due to torque (typically transmitted through a one-piece shaft) and impact load. Dividing the shaft into more pieces increases the angular, axial, and parallel misalignment, even with careful handling and cost to reduce piece tolerances and concentricity. As complexity increases in this way, the possibility of design and assembly errors also increases. Loose connections or shaft failure can occur due to assembly engineer mistakes (eg, insufficient torque applied to bolts) or high vibration environments.

  Reducing misalignment problems typically requires significant cost as it reduces the machining tolerances of all shafts and chassis parts, possibly to a finer ball grade and requires time and expense to the assembly process Can take. Prior to taking these expensive measures, the shaft of the apparatus of the present invention can include in-line alignment pins, clamps, keyways, and shaft couplers to reduce misalignment at the end of the shaft. . Referring to FIG. 30, tilt shaft attachments 128 and 145 can include alignment pins 138 or other engagement mechanisms on sides 321 and 323. To align the shaft piece of the tilt shaft 105, the center clamp can include a set screw, inline pin 138, or keyway to engage the shaft end and rotate for alignment. Referring to FIG. 33, the end of the tilt shaft 105 coincides with a clamp structure in which one shaft end includes and restricts on the mating end of the other shaft fastened by a bolt. Also, set screws can be used to penetrate through larger shaft ends and press into smaller shaft ends, but this is a weak connection, even self-locking set screws, May be loosened by large vibration and shock loads. Inline pins and keyways may not interfere with axial movement under heavy impact loads.

  In addition to the shaft contact surfaces, the bearings are not aligned when fully secured, and are consequently preloaded with each other. If the bearing is just bolted, the angle misalignment when the mounting surface is not sufficiently flat, the axial misalignment when the mounting surface depth and bearing cross section are controlled in the axial direction, or the mounting hole pattern The possibility of misalignment of parallelism when it is off-axis cannot be wiped out. To alleviate these additional sources of misalignment, the flatness and dimensional tolerances can be increased by the bearing lands and mounting surfaces of the housing and shaft flange, and the precisely positioned holes for the alignment pins 138 Parallel misalignment can be reduced. However, these improvements are costly. Referring to FIG. 39, it is necessary to limit the misalignment of the angle by making the flat mounting surfaces 166 and 168 extremely flat, and the alignment pin hole 396 enables a high-accuracy positioning of the bearing, thereby preventing the parallel misalignment. Restrict. Since the shaft is elongated and the bearing mount points grow separately, it is necessary to reduce tolerances and keep misalignment within design parameters.

  Although small shafts use short shafts in small embodiments, unacceptable misalignment does not occur, but effects can occur when using larger embodiments in high performance positioning applications. Through controlled planar tolerances on the turntable bearing lands 166, 168, proper alignment for a small embodiment can be achieved. In these turntable bearing lands 166 and 168, the flatness of the mounting surface and the hole is similarly controlled together with the alignment pin and the keyway. The greater the distance between the shaft mount points, the more accurate tolerances are required. The significant impact on cost and performance guarantees the effectiveness and cost of reducing shaft misalignment. To avoid undue costs in molding and assembly, the shaft piece can be used as an intermediate part to engage the shaft piece. A coupler with flexure deforms to neutralize misalignment while absorbing light shocks and damping vibrations.

  The shaft coupler mates the two shaft ends with links that are stronger than can be achieved by direct shaft engagement. By providing a simple shape at the two aluminum shaft ends, costs can be reduced, while the coupling can provide more complex mating features (eg, clamps, bolts, alignment pins and set screws). The material making up the coupler is stronger than the shaft (eg, steel for connecting aluminum shafts). As a result, the amount of assembly can be reduced by thinning the walls of the clamps, keyways and other stress handling features. Many shaft couplers also have features that alleviate the serious problem of shaft misalignment.

  A suitable type of shaft coupler integrated into the device of the present invention must correct each type of misalignment expected, must be able to pass through the wire through a hollow hole, and Shaft couplers with hollow holes, high misalignment tolerance, and electrical conductivity, which must be conductive to electrically join the two shafts, are beam type (also called “helical” couplers). Called). In the integral bend used in this type, the material of the central part is cut into a spiral shape to obtain a spiral coil. This is a single piece, but in many other types it is electrically isolated by sandwiching a separate rubber flexible disk. The thin coil structure is robust but also has a constant spring action, so it accepts and offsets misalignment of several degrees and offsets thousands of inches in parallel and axial misalignment. A more flexible construction of this helical structure can allow for looser machining tolerances and assembly accuracy, but with correspondingly reduced stiffness, torque capability, axial load capability, and fatigue strength To do. In the case of the device of the present invention, the payloads attached to the shaft must continue to be rotationally and accurately aligned with each other, and machining tolerances are reasonably ± 0.001 to 0.002 inches without undue cost. Can fit in. A constant rigid bend can absorb the expected small misalignment and there is no increased risk of fatigue failure associated with thin coils.

  Such a coupler is useful in tilt or pan-through-shaft embodiments where misalignment between the two bearings can occur. Referring to FIG. 23, the helical shaft coupler 188 meshes with the tilt shaft pieces 186 and 187. A keyway can be provided at the end of the tilt shaft piece and aligned with the key in the coupler to maintain rotational alignment between the shaft pieces. Torque can be transferred by clamping around the end of each shaft by clamping at each end of the coupler. A spring-like bellows can be provided between the coupler clamps. The spring-like bellows can absorb a static load of several degrees of misalignment in the shafts 186 and 187 by bending. This bellows can attenuate the vibration movement along the tilt shaft. The coupler and its integral bend are relatively delicate to a rigid shaft, and the bend may be the weakest link in a given shaft assembly (especially for bellows or axial impact loads). From fatigue deflection). For this reason, the bent portion is a component that may cause a failure at the earliest. Ideally, the size of the coupler 188 should be such that it fails at the load threshold. Below this load threshold, damage to the mounted bearing occurs. The coupler 188 functions like a collapse zone, a sacrificial link or a mechanical fuse, for example, to isolate the bearing and shaft from damage. Such a coupler can be 7075-T6 aluminum, hardened steel, beryllium, or other high strength material for fatigue life adjustment and failure point design for shaft protection. A coupler is a small bolted member and is generally inexpensive, but bearings and custom shafts are relatively expensive and time and cost are required for disassembly and repair of the positioning device. As such, the use of a shaft coupler increases system performance and reduces or commensurate component costs, allowing for further cost savings over the life of the product through less expensive repairs.

  If the application of this device cannot accept a low degree of axial load capacity that flexibly couples, then the radial bearing 144 is a bearing that absorbs axial loads, such as the ungeared turntable bearing of FIG. Can be exchanged for. That is, such a double turntable shaft does not share a load, but can safely include a helical connector in the middle to compensate for misalignment. Double four-point bearings increase drive friction, and if the friction force and applied starting torque are unacceptable, a strong in-line coupling must be used, which corrects limited misalignment. To do.

  An unusual modification of the shaft coupler is a flange for angular position sensing. This flange may be provided with markings, magnets or other features (readable by a read head attached to the housing). This feature can improve the true position of the feature over the case of a separate flange or encoder wheel fastened to the shaft (eg, tilt shaft position disc 147 in FIG. 22). Such integration also reduces cost, complexity, and installation effort and increases reliability.

  The positioning device rotates the payload via a motor that rotates the shaft via a mechanical drive. The most common drive used in pan / tilt is a worm gear drive, and geared turntable bearings and through rings are gears for gear spool spool gears almost exclusively. Embodiments of the present invention may employ a gearbox on the motor rotor, a spool gear attached to the motor rotor, or a worm gear that drives a turntable bearing, but in the case of geared drive, under the vibration and impact of the mobile deployment device In reaction, recoil and tooth damage occur. In such an environment, it is preferable to employ belt driving.

  Position accuracy, accuracy and repeatability are the main optimizations that have been sought in recent gear drives and belt drives, but with the mobile deployment of the positioner, acceleration and other perturbations (e.g., vehicles on the road indentations) It was found that there is a need to stabilize the shaft position using more torque than on a stable platform. Therefore, the mobile positioner needs to reduce the load capacity for movement and operation on a boat, vehicle, airplane or other mobile platform in consideration of external acceleration. In the prior art, the effects of acceleration are recognized by reducing the nominal torque capability of the product in field operation. The present invention provides a novel belt drive positioning in the field of careless and heavy gear drive design that has been persisted. The provision of such a new belt drive positioning provides a higher torque-to-weight ratio, a torque-to-volume ratio, a belt to withstand walking, a tooth profile that provides unprecedented torque in position registration applications, and belt retention Feature, low friction transmission mechanism, environmental seal to avoid bearing corrosion and settling on pulley surface due to moisture and debris, motor with fast response to stabilize shaft against external dynamic acceleration Become.

  Prior art belt drive was considered vulnerable to position loss from the ratchet, so if the belt was removed from the track it would need to be repaired on-site, requiring both position registration and high torque. Was inappropriate. Recent advances in belt technology have doubled torque capability in belts of the same width and pitch. For example, a standard curvilinear tooth profile may have a much higher torque capability than the trapezoidal teeth common to prior art belt drive positioning devices, but may not be suitable or not optimal for high precision positioning. Therefore, the trapezoidal tooth profile is more suitable than the standard curvilinear tooth in the positioning device of the present invention. However, in other embodiments, with a modified curved tooth profile, there is a performance advantage in both trapezoidal and standard curves. The modified curvilinear tooth can double the torque capability of the trapezoidal profile and can be characterized in that the position accuracy is slightly sacrificed due to the high torque capability. Also, the modified curved tooth provides a significantly improved location registration signature compared to the standard curved tooth. These belt characteristics substantially avoid position errors and recoil due to belt extension (see, for example, US Pat. No. 7,824,284 “Power Transmission Belt And Cord Adhesive System And Adhesion Method” and US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/11). 0005675A1 (named "Power Transmission Belt And Cord Adhesive System And Adhesion Method"). In this specification, both of the documents are incorporated by reference.

  When fiberglass or carbon is used as a tension fiber in the belt, the belt stretch is reduced and the belt tension continues to be consistent with the circumference over time and operation. With a properly tensioned belt, torque capability is maintained, ratchet dies are avoided, belt dust contamination is avoided, and there is no twisting, allowing very high precision motor input, resulting in Extremely high precision pan or tilt shaft movement is possible. In addition, the belt structure method using fiber cords introduces twist into the cord, so that the possibility of the belt coming off the track is reduced. Most synchronous belts are made with “S” -shaped clockwise and “Z” -shaped counterclockwise cords to minimize the belt tracking force on the pulley flange.

  These belts are flat and may be provided with molded teeth on the outer diameter belts and mating grooves of the bearing and pan motor gear and tilt motor gear. By engaging the teeth with the bearing and the motor gear in the positive direction, smooth rolling can be obtained with low friction. This positive engagement allows for highly accurate shaft synchronization, avoidance of slippage and speed loss, and synchronous operation at higher speeds than most chain drives. Synchronous belt drive is not a friction device. This is a positive engagement drive and depends on the engagement between the belt teeth and the pulley groove. The output transmission efficiency of the synchronous belt is 98% at the maximum, and this efficiency is maintained. The non-slip characteristic enables high-precision synchronization between the power source and the driven unit. Synchronous belt drive is extremely useful in applications where indexing, positioning or a constant speed ratio is required. Belts have many advantages, including quieter, less expensive, more efficient and lighter than a gear or chain drive. Also, timing belts do not require lubrication, which is essential for timing chains or gears. The belt of the positioning device may comprise trapezoidal teeth or modified curved profile teeth that engage with corresponding trapezoidal or curved teeth on the outer diameter of the bearing or motor gear.

  Referring to FIG. 35, a top view of a positioning device embodiment 401 illustrates the tilt belt 116 surrounding both the tilt motor 114 and the tilt shaft gear 131. The inner surface of the tilt belt 116 and the outer surface of the tilt shaft gear 131 may be provided with corresponding teeth to avoid slipping between the tilt belt 116 and the tilt shaft gear 131. Referring to FIG. 34, in a cross-sectional front view of the device 401, a cross-section of the tilt belt 116 is illustrated, and an exposed front view of a tilt motor and tilt pulley that is not visible in the front cross-section of other disclosures is illustrated. Yes. The inner surface of the tilt belt 116 and the outer surface of the tilt motor gear 114 may be provided with corresponding teeth to avoid slipping between the tilt belt 116 and the motor gear 114. The pan shaft may have the same component arrangement, and the pan motor gear 104 of the pan motor 102 is connected to the outer ring 137 of the pan bearing 127 by the pan belt 106. The inner surface of the pan belt 106 and the outer surface of the outer ring 137 may be provided with corresponding teeth to avoid slipping between the pan belt 106 and the outer ring 137.

  In a location registration device such as the positioning device described in the claims, high accuracy and repeatable tension must be applied to the belt, cable or chain connection to operate with the accuracy required for location registration applications. is there. When excessive tension is generated in the connecting portion, the tensile reinforcing bar in the belt may be damaged, wear increases, and tooth shearing may occur. Also, due to excessive tensioning, the load on other drive components (eg, bearings, shafts and motors) can also be excessive. If the motor rotor rotating on the bearing has a limited radial load capability, the rotor assembly can deflect due to excessive tension, which can lead to eccentric rotation and torque mismatch. Insufficient tension can lead to a decrease in belt envelopment, a decrease in engagement teeth, a decrease in torque capability, and slipping off of the belt ratchet groove as a tooth. The ratchet wears the belt teeth and prevents the system from tracking the motor and shaft rotation positions.

  To attach a belt, cable or roller chain and apply tension, in the prior art, the motor is attached to the plate. These plates are adjusted to lock after tensioning the belt. Typically, slots provided in the motor mount plate are aligned with threaded holes in the positioning device chassis. The size of such a slot is such that the plate and motor move in the radial direction towards the shaft pulley to surround the belt and then move away from the pulley in the radial direction to remove slack. .

  In the adjustment and lockdown method, force is applied directly to the adjustable input or output shaft of the system. . . Similar to the spring loaded pulley / idler method, vector force analysis is recommended for proper tensioning. Similarly, be sure to calculate the generated moment when adjusting around the turning point. The load can be applied to the shaft by various methods. Two commonly used methods are to attach a static weight or spring scale to the adjustable shaft. After setting the drive, the sound tension method is a general method for determining the belt tension. . . This method uses sound waves generated by “placking” a single range of belts. The frequency is measured by holding the microphone directly above the belt in the middle of the plaking range. As the attached tension changes, the frequency also changes. By applying a known attached load to the belt, a graph correlating frequency to tension is obtained. Once the frequency value is determined, the belt tension can be adjusted to an appropriate value. (From the belt manufacturer's technical manual for precision timing belts)

  In the prior art, an engineer must manually fasten the motor onto the adjustable plate, which typically results in tension mismatches, resulting in motion and torque capability mismatches between products of the same model. Will occur. Although developing a tool can produce more consistent deflection, the removable tool may not fit within the closely packed housing, and after the device is shipped from the factory In some cases, the tool cannot cope with tension loss. The motor mount plate is bolted to the holding position, and a situation where the tensioned belt / chain pulls the motor by only friction of the bolt head is avoided. In high impact and vibration environments with the use of positioning devices, these bolts may loosen or simply fail to avoid sliding. For newer belts using inelastic tension strands (eg, fiberglass), the elongation at full tension is only 0.1-0.2% of the belt length in a small robot. As a result, even with small slips, the drive belt and torque capability grip can be significantly reduced.

  One option for positioning and maintaining the position of the belt in the field is a cam pusher, but this inflexible displacement mechanism cannot withstand manufacturing discrepancies and mounting errors, and can be used when engaged. Moment load can be generated in the motor plate. Another method of tensioning the belt is an adjustable idler pulley and fixed motor combination. The idler pulley can be manually placed to flex the belt by a known sufficient distance and then locked into place. An external idler pulley can increase belt deflection in a motor driven pulley, which increases torque capability, but due to this pulley, volume, weight, complexity and cost increase in the drive design. This idler solution can also result in reduced accuracy and inconsistencies due to manual fastening of the adjustable motor plate, and the idler mount also relies on bolt head friction to maintain position Therefore, a malfunction may occur. Bolt threads can loosen due to vibration, but the impact is likely to exceed bolt head friction. A torsion member (eg, a spring) can be used to apply a constant force of variable magnitude to change the idler deflection. When an impact occurs on the device, the spring can absorb and damp the belt impact that can cause the bolt head to loosen. However, due to this variable tension, torque and positioning speed can change upon impact. For high precision positioning devices, consistent torque is required during high impact events to maintain operation under all conditions.

  Referring to FIG. 48, in a front sectional view of the belt drive, the adjustment and lockdown motor assembly is enhanced by the gear track assembly to gradually tension the belt and maintain the tension under impact and vibration. The pan motor 102 is firmly attached to the sliding motor mount plate 282. The plate can slide adjustably on a rail standoff 669 that is rigidly attached to the floor of the plate, shelf or housing 111. The thickness of the housing rail 669 and the motor plate 282 are sized to align the motor gear 104 to the shaft gear 127 in parallel, and output transfer between the gears is performed by the belt 106. The housing rail 669 may include at least two attachment points for locking the motor plate 282 (eg, threaded insert). The motor plate may include a slot that overlaps the threaded mount point to partially screw the fastener into the rail 669. The motor plate is then adjusted within slot constraints. The screws on the motor mount plate 282 that contain the slots constrain yaw, pitch, roll, and Y and Z translation. Since only one degree of freedom remains in the X direction, the assembly engineer moves the rate along this to tension the belt. Referring to FIG. 49, when the motor adjustment plate 282 moves in the radial direction away from the rotating shaft, the linear gear track 685 rigidly attached to the motor mount plate 282 becomes pawl 680 rigidly attached to the housing 111. And vice versa. A shoulder screw 684 fastened into the housing may comprise a torsion spring 682 and a pawl 680. The pawl and spring rotate around the shoulder screw. In one embodiment, shoulder screw 684 is an 18-8 stainless steel precision slotted shoulder screw having a 1/8 inch shoulder diameter and 3/8 inch shoulder length, 4-40 Has a thread. When the pawl 680 is pressed by the torsion spring 682, a constant force is applied and the state where the pawl tip contacts the gear track 685 is maintained. As the gear track passes the pawl, the pawl bites the teeth in the gear track and avoids movement in the opposite direction. Angling the gear teeth causes pawl 680 to slide up in one direction and lock in the other direction. Each time the pawl is clicked, the motor mount 282 increments the tension on the belt 106 separately. In the case of the belt described above, since the elastic deformation is negligible, the gear and pawl engagement can have a narrow range of motion, and the teeth of the gear track 685 and the tip of the pawl 680 can be very fine, Very fine increments in tension can be obtained. The technician can achieve very repeatable tension in the belt 106 with individual increments. To avoid damage to the fine teeth and pawls 680 of the linear gear 685, the material of these features can be titanium, tool steel, or other extremely hard wear resistant material. An appropriate tension can be confirmed using a measuring instrument (for example, a sound tension measuring device). There is no need for a human to hold the motor plate 282 by hand. That is, after several measurements and corresponding adjustments, the fasteners are fully fastened and the motor 102 is locked in place. The gear track assembly and bolt head then cooperate to maintain tension at high vibration and impact. To disengage the gear 685 and pawl 680, there may be a pawl lock pin 681 that is a protruding feature. Since the pawl lock pin 681 protrudes, the pawl 680 can be moved away from the gear track by pulling the pawl lock pin 681, or a hole is provided in the pawl to insert the instrument, It is also possible to pull out the pawl from the gear 685. This feature 681 allows the pawl 680 to be released and the belt 106 to be loosened.

  Referring to FIG. 59, in another embodiment of an adjustable motor mount, the screw 671 can be rotated to drive the wedge 670 between the housing and the tilt motor mount plate 115, a similar screw wedge arrangement. The configuration is used in a pan motor assembly. In US Pat. No. 4,921,378, entitled “Rotary-pallet system”, published on May 1, 1990, to clamp fixtures and metal stocks with high precision and high accuracy for CNC machining. An adjusted wedge arrangement is described. Referring to FIGS. 51-53, there is a wedge vise. When the screw 671 is fastened, the wedge 670 is driven between the jaws 673 to shift the jaws 673. Referring to FIG. 52, the wedge 670 is angled on the left side and the right side to displace the pair of jaws 673 evenly. This is useful in CNC jigs where the threaded hole for the screw 671 can be placed with high accuracy at the midpoint between the two parts. However, the application of tension to the belt cannot be predicted. If one jaw 673 comes into contact with the fixed surface and then contacts the other jaw, when the bolt 671 is continuously screwed, the first neck is pressed against the fixed surface and the moment load is pushed into the thread. Can occur. Referring to FIG. 56, the left side of the wedge 670 is angled so that only the left jaw 673 is displaced to the left, and the second jaw is not angled. Since the right side of the wedge is vertical, there is no wedge action that imparts a lateral force. When the left jaw 673 comes into contact with the surface, a load is generated on the right side, but the right jaw 673 functions as a backstrap that equalizes the force on the thread of the bolt 671. This right neck can be a solid attachment point for the vise. In order to anchor the jaw in a semi-permanent location, the jaw may be provided with a hole for a fastener. 54-67, the neck 673 can include a pair of fasteners that secure the neck. The lower profile jaw anchor may be an alignment pin, dovetail, tongue in the groove or other key. As with all fasteners used in the positioning device, the screw 671 may comprise a thread lock compound. This thread lock compound is applied to avoid loosening in the field, and allows error correction and maintenance, preferably by a non-permanent formulation.

  Referring to FIG. 58, the angled jaw 673 is integrated with the pan bearing flange 129 and the motor mount plates 115 and 282. Referring to FIG. 60, in the tilt assembly illustrated in the partial side cross-section of the positioning device 101, turning the bolt 671 may cause the wedge 670 to descend. Due to the meshing slope neck 673 on the tilt motor mount 115, the wedge force itself is downward, but the motor slides away from the tilt axis in the radial direction. The neck portion 673 adjacent to the pan bearing flange 129 functions as a backstrip that prevents a lateral load from being generated on the bolt 671 and a misalignment of the thread due to the opposing force of the tilt motor mount. can do. When the bolt is fastened, the tilt motor mount 115 and the attached tilt motor 112 move away from the tilt axis, and gradually remove the slack of the tilt belt 116. After the non-permanent thread lock compound is applied to the motor mount screw and wedge bolt 671, tension is applied to avoid release from the fixed position due to impact and vibration. Referring to FIG. 59, the jaw 673 faces the tension of the pan belt 106 that limits the motor 102 and the mounted mount plate 282, while the wedge 670 is in contact with the housing 111 via a joint on the pan bearing flange. Can touch. When the screw 671 is fastened, the wedge 670 is driven between the joint of the jaw 673 and the pan bearing flange 129. When the jaw is expanded, the motor mount plate 282 is displaced in the radial direction. The end of the vise jaw 673 can include a rough, jagged surface for gripping the housing and motor mount plate 282. One or more of the motor adjustment features described above can be used to tension and maintain this tensioning device with a highly tensioned transmission mechanism during rough service in the field.

  Locations that perform robotic and electronic operations in outdoor and industrial environments can fail due to the ingress of dust and humidity. Referring to FIG. 30, to protect the internal components within the housing 111 dynamic seal 152, the static components 156 and the air valve 150 can be used to isolate the internal components from the external environment. The air and liquid fluid barrier provided by the seal and internal pressurization can prevent gas, fluid and solid contaminants (eg, dust) from entering or remaining in the housing 111.

  If there is a solid contaminant (“dust”) in the housing 111, the electronics can be damaged, obstructing the optical device, and smooth movement of the positioning drive mechanism can occur. Friction can be increased due to dust, running and breaking free torque for the rotating mechanism can be increased, which can ultimately lead to drive mechanism failure. These dust particles can interfere with lubricants in moving components (e.g., motors and bearings), causing these lubricants to dry out into a highly viscous and uncomfortable rough state. As a result, the heat transfer capability of the grease can be reduced, leading to hot spots and thermal expansion in highly accurate moving parts. These particles cause small speed bumps to occur between bearing elements that require a smooth sliding movement, resulting in wear of the high precision polished surface of the bearing elements. These undesirable effects are observed in the positioning device 301 as vibration increase, slip stick vibration, and torque traction.

  While the purpose of the present invention is to protect all of the enclosed components from environmental threats, the bearings 391, 144 may be provided with a face seal as a second line of defense from fluids, gases and dust. Referring to FIG. 42, the balls 135 and raceways of the bearing 391 can be covered and protected by a face seal 160. Face seal 160 may be mounted on the track as a primary seal for protection from contaminants. The inner and outer diameters of the face seal 160 are adapted and slidable in a groove 397 formed in the inner ring 133 and the outer ring 137, and the face seal 160 is flat (that is, the surfaces of the inner ring 133 and the outer ring 137). On the other hand, it may be concave. These face seals 160 can further protect the bearing 135 from exposure to fluids, gases and dust. Although the sealed housing provides adequate protection, the face seal 160 can also protect the bearing during shipping and assembly. Face seal 160 can be constructed of a variety of materials (eg, Buna-N nitrile, black rubber or polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”)), where PTFE has a bearing on a wide range of chemicals and It can survive in harsh environments and does not generate excessive traction and slipstick vibrations associated with prior art high static friction drive.

  If there is dust on the teeth of the meshing spool or worm gear, it will lead to wear, vibration and friction torque loss as well as increased wear on the teeth leading to increased recoil in the drive. In belt drive, the mechanical grip is reduced by dust on the belt and pulley teeth, resulting in a reduction in the torque output that could be achieved before the occurrence of the belt ratchet / slip. Also, dust may cover or separate the internal electronic components, resulting in excessive heating and failure. The positioning device may also include an optical encoder and limit switch that cannot operate properly when covered with dust. In the case of an optical payload integrated with the housing, it is also vulnerable to dust deposited on the optical surface, thereby reducing image quality or laser transmission efficiency.

  Referring to FIG. 23, fluid and condensed gas (“humidity”) enter the housing 111 through the action of submergence, rain, wet air, and the like. Alternatively, if the etchant encapsulated in the encapsulated circuit board is gassed, it can lead to short circuiting of electronic equipment, condensing on the optical surface, corroding the metal, generating mold, and damaging the rotating mechanism. Can occur. Moisture becomes particularly problematic for devices where various materials are in contact with each other for optimization of weight and strength (eg, carbon fiber and titanium or aluminum and steel). A high galvanic potential is generated between combinations of these materials. This is because the presence of moisture mediates galvanic corrosion. If corrosion occurs in the fasteners, bonding can occur, which can hamper the repair of the device, and if the bolt breaks, it can be permanently damaged and require long-term repair. In this positioning device, embedding threaded fasteners (eg, Keensert and Helicoil) reduces the effects of corrosion at the fastener joints, while other components remain weak. The high polishing accuracy surface area provided in the bearing components is extremely vulnerable to corrosion due to moisture. When movement is stuck due to corrosion, a hole opens in the smooth surface, resulting in increased vibration of the rotating component. Due to material loss due to corrosion, the load capacity of the bearing also decreases. Moisture on the belt teeth can reduce the mechanical grip with the meshing gear. Water also causes a short circuit, corroding internal electronics, condensing interferes with the optical encoder and limit switch, and fogs the payload optical lens integrated with the housing 111.

  In the prior art, circular static seals have been used to seal the gap between the shaft and the housing, but in the case of these elastomer rings, both surfaces are not sealed so Because it wears and the ring coil protrudes from the groove, even light fluid and gas pressure cannot be stopped by the seal. One or more shafts included in the positioning device 101 undergo intermittent dynamic rotational movement and a dynamic rotational shaft seal 152 is used to achieve adequate protection from the environment.

  By attaching the dynamic seal 152 between the moving parts, the entry of dust and moisture can be limited. For example, the dynamic seal 152 can be mounted between the housing 111 and the pan shaft 125, or the dynamic seal 152 can be mounted around the tilt shaft 105 and the housing 111. The upper portion of the pan shaft 125 is fitted into the recessed area of the housing 111, and a seal 152 is provided around the pan shaft 125 in the vicinity of the lower portion of the housing 111. A seal 152 can also be provided around the tilt shaft 105 just inside both the first side 121 and the second side 123 of the housing 111.

  5, 6, 11, 23, and 34, the pan shaft 125 can be substantially the same, and the seal 152 is the same or substantially the same. In FIG. 5, the seal 152 is provided in a recessed area at the bottom of the housing 111, and the larger diameter step in the shaft 125 narrows the entrance to the seal gland, thereby causing the seal 152 to be directly hit by debris and Protect from explosion impulses. 12-14, a small diameter pan shaft 225 is used, and the seal 152 is used on a larger diameter pan shaft 125 except that the diameter is limited to maintain contact with the shaft 225. Is the same. In FIG. 13, the pan shaft 225 does not have a step or flange to protect the seal gland entrance, but an annular flange 155 can be attached to the gland entrance to provide a shield. Similarly, referring to FIG. 22, the seal 152 on the second side 123 on the housing is radially expanded to seal the larger diameter tilt shaft 105 of FIG. The same as the seal 152 of FIG. By making the diameter of the tilt shaft 105 in contact with the seal 152 the same size, cost savings and inventory efficiency can be achieved, resulting in the same seal 152 and a single part number sealed. 152 can be used.

  Dust and moisture from the outside environment can often enter the housing 111 under high forces (eg, hurricane winds, pressure washer jets, sandstorms or explosions). Referring to FIG. 47, the dynamic rotating shaft seal is illustrated in the seal gland. The dynamic seal 152 has a “C” shape with a seal opening facing the ambient volume and a closure facing the interior of the housing. In this configuration, when the atmospheric pressure exceeds the internal pressure due to a hurricane wind or an explosion on the battlefield, the diameter of the seal 152 tends to expand due to the atmospheric pressure. In contrast, if the internal pressure exceeds the ambient pressure, the seal 152 can be compressed and the internal gas can escape before the static seal protrudes or the housing explodes. When the positioning device 101 is exposed to low pressure (eg, explosive wave valleys) or attached to an aircraft at a high altitude, the dynamic seal 152 can be a double seal with an arrangement such as “) (”. The double seal includes an inwardly facing “C” shaped seal to hold pressure in the housing, hi one embodiment, the internal volume of the seal 152 can be loaded with a spring or other mechanical device 252. A spring or other mechanical device 252 applies an inner radial force on the shaft to improve the seal of the seal 152. However, when a force is applied on the seal 152, rotational friction and slip It is necessary to suppress rotational friction so that a positioning error does not occur in the pan shaft 125 or the tilt shaft 105. 152, PTFE lip seals, O-rings, gaskets, (to prevent out of gas and particles in the housing) seal or may be other mechanisms.

  Referring to FIG. 30, the housing 311 may also include a static seal. The static seal can be an O-ring, gasket, seal, or other mechanism (which prevents gas and particles from entering and exiting the housing 111). By attaching a static seal 156 between the joint edges of the mating portions, the passage of environmentally hazardous substances is prevented. Typical static seals fail through loss of compression due to elastomeric gas permeability, chemical exposure, weathering, wear, torsion coils in grooves, loose fasteners or inflexible ground wall bends. Can occur. Design errors can also lead to seal failure (e.g. joint edges with poor thickness and stiffness, poor flatness, or fineness where gas molecules pass through the groove seal contact zone in the surface finish. If leaking through a crack). Since static seals become a point of failure during sealed deposition, a feature of the present invention of the positioning device is a simple monocoque housing that reduces static seal failure points by reducing the seam length. . In the illustrated embodiment, the device housing 301 need only have a top cover 313 and a main housing piece 311. Therefore, only the top cover 313 needs to provide a static seal for the housing shell 311. The positioning device 301 may use at least six static O-ring seals (eg, a first seal is provided between the housing 311 and the top cover 113, and a second seal is the air pressure valve 150 in the pan shaft. A third seal is provided for the cap over the valve stage of the pressure valve, a fourth seal is provided on the electrical connector 141 on the pan shaft, and a backup O-ring seal is provided on the tilt shaft 105. Provided on the shaft mount brackets 128 and 145). By providing a backup O-ring in the shaft mount, it is possible to avoid a situation in which gas leakage collides with the lip seal and expands outward, and the shaft mount is bolted to the inner wall of the housing. The situation where gas passes between the brackets can be avoided. The cast or molded structure allows the tilt shaft mount brackets 128 and 145 to be integrated or embedded in the wall more easily than in the case of milling. Such a cast or molded housing can also eliminate the need to provide an internal backup O-ring on the mount using an external dynamic seal gland (eg, a pan shaft 225 that seals the gland). Remove the air valve flange seal by machining the air valve directly on the pan shaft. As a result, the static intrusion route can be limited to only three O-rings, so that the sealing performance is further improved. Referring to FIG. 29, in the device 201, since the dynamic seal is provided outside the housing, a backup O-ring in the bracket is unnecessary. In other embodiments, the static seal can be a gasket, an elastomeric ring, or any other suitable sealing mechanism. This design simplifies the structure and seal of the positioning device and provides a housing 211 that is more resistant to environmental threats than other designs that require more housing component connections.

  To counteract external forces of pressurized contaminants and intrusion due to explosions into the protected interior, pressurization of the housing 211 can be performed through the air valve 150 with conditioned gas. The positive pressure of the internal gas creates an opposite force that negates the external pressure that attempts to cause the dynamic seal 152 and static seal 156 to protrude (which can cause failure of the seal system). be able to. The shaft seal 152 and the static seal 156 hold the adjusted gas inside, and hold the atmospheric gas and particles outside the housing 211. When the positioning device 201 is deployed in a low pressure environment, a double dynamic seal is preferred to constrain internal pressurization. If there is a defect in the dynamic or static seal and the leak is prone to occur, the conditioned internal gas leaks before the external air that carries the contaminants enters due to the positive internal pressure. In the land base deployment, the housing is pressurized to an absolute value of about 16-20 psi, and in a preferred embodiment, internal gas does not leak. In other embodiments, even if there is a higher pressure in the housing 211, no gas leaks will occur if the seal is double and / or if the seal is physically pressed against the shaft by springing. In that case, there is a defect that torque drag increases. By covering the seal 152 with the lubricant, the tilt shaft 105 and the pan shaft 125 rotate smoothly with respect to the seal 152, and the seal 152 is not damaged. The dynamic seal 152 may be composed of a lubricious material (eg, a wear optimized PTFE polymer mixture that falls by rubbing and self-lubricates the moving contact area).

  Dust and moisture can enter the housing 211 during assembly and routine maintenance. In addition to the air mass that is enclosed in the housing when the cover 113 is fastened to seal the fully assembled unit, moisture is latent in the materials in the internal devices and components. Moisture may be trapped between circuit board layers (eg, motor electronics, any built-in payload, internal DC / DC converter 118, encapsulated controller 574, or other electronic system). Hidden moisture from circuit boards, plastics, wires, and other components may exceed the humidity in the air mass enclosed in the housing 111, so only fill the unit with dry air In this case, the moisture cannot be removed sufficiently to ensure an acceptable product life. An assembly environment in a clean room can avoid constant contamination on the factory floor, but this is expensive and impractical in field service. Preferably, after purging the housing 211, the sealed unit is pressurized with a gas, and the purge and pressurized gas may be a dry inert gas (eg, nitrogen). The purging and filling may be performed through an air valve 150 disposed on the pan shaft 125, or the air valve may be disposed on the housing 211 or the cover 113, in which case the mass of the valve is the pan motor. This creates a burdensome defect for the device, and generates additional rotating mass that does not occur when the valve is provided on the fixed pan shaft base. Using a purge process (eg, the Brownell method with a nitrogen-rich purge) to remove moisture from the encapsulated air and potential moisture in the component material (eg, circuit board etchant trapped between the substrate layers). Can be extracted. The remaining conditioned gas sealed in the housing 211 has many advantages. That is, there is much less particulate contaminants such as dust, a low possibility of corrosion, a low dew point to avoid condensation and optical haze, and a low static electricity. The gas can be pressurized to improve the sealing performance of the static seal 156 and the dynamic seal 152.

  In addition to dust and moisture, electromagnetic hazards in the external environment can enter the housing 211, obstruct or destroy encapsulated electronic equipment, melt or evaporate mechanical components, or electrocut the service technician. obtain. Hazards include blackouts, lightning, electrostatic discharges, electromagnetic pulses, degaussing discharges on naval vessels, and energy emissions (eg, radar and energy weapon orientation). Electrons encapsulated in the housing can also be a dangerous source of EMI / RFI, escape from seams and penetrations and interfere with external devices (eg, communication transceivers). When the housing shell piece is activated by this internal energy, the housing shell piece radiates as a dipole antenna even if it is not electrically connected. Generalizing the strategies used to mitigate electromagnetic energy intrusion and radiation results in minimizing seams and penetrations at the electrical joints between the housing pieces, but these design guidelines are for design optimization for manufacturing. Some general conventions of the company, such as the ability to disassemble a small machine into many parts so that it can be easily accessed by human hands and instruments to quickly assemble and repair the device. Contrary. In the prior art, three or more parts are generally assembled with many seams and penetrations, and radiation from the antenna also exists, whereas the device of the present invention has a simple housing 211. And this problem is addressed by including a cover 113 and providing a two part shell. On the other hand, without compromising, the components are integrated and no press-fit is used in the turntable bearings 131, 127, thus providing access to assembly and maintenance. By minimizing the total seam length, shields in different shell pieces can be more easily electrically connected. The shield may be constituted by a conductive material or a mesh of conductive material. For electrical connection between the seals at the interface of the components, a conductive static seal can be used (eg, elastomeric O-ring doped with metal particles or carbon nanotubes). By enclosing the internal components with a housing of conductive material or mesh, a “Faraday box” can be formed that protects internal electrical and electronic components from electrostatic and non-electrostatic fields. This shield can protect the internal components while protecting the external device from EMI generated from the positioning device 201 when lightning, radio waves and electromagnetic radiation occur in the positioning device. Although this high level shield is uncommon in the prior art, it has become an essential requirement in new certified defense and defense equipment through standards (eg, ML-STD-461G).

  Since dust, moisture and electromagnetic energy are extremely dangerous for the positioning device, a housing with a minimum number of inlets has been proposed, and the necessary seams and openings are sealed by dynamic seals 152 and static seals 156. The In FIG. It is a continuous shell and is provided with a cover 113 and only one or two holes for the tilt shaft 105. The positioning device may comprise a housing 111 that minimizes the total length of the seam. In a simple form, the housing 111 has a lower part and four side parts 121, 122, 123, 124. These are all made from a single piece of material. The pan shaft 125 can extend through a hole in the lower portion of the housing 111 and the tilt shaft can extend through a hole in the side of the housing 111. All internal components can be attached through the top opening and shaft hole. Such a monocoque structure minimizes the number and total length of static seals required for the housing 111, thereby reducing the potential for environmental hazards and radiated electromagnetic noise leakage. Pressurization and purging are more effective when there are a few leak points in the housing. In that case, it is expected that the pressurizing unit will operate for a longer period before the internal pressure in the positive direction unavoidably leaks. By minimizing the number of components, the housing 111 of the positioning system 101 can be made stronger, and the housing 111 can have fewer seams and seals through which environmental threats can enter and exit. This design simplifies the construction and sealing of the positioning device and makes the housing 111 more robust than other designs that require more connected housing components.

  Another advantage of the positioning device of the present invention of an integrated simple housing is that it can improve the resistance of the housing 111 to mechanical vibrations, shocks and shocks. In one embodiment, the first side 121, the second side 123, the third side 122, and the fourth side 124 are all made from the same piece of material or a single continuous structure. In the monocoque structure that the positioning device may comprise, the housing 111 provides the outer surface and the load bearing structure. In the case of a housing constructed with various pieces fastened together, channel vibration between the mating pieces is not efficient, resulting in unpredictable resonances due to indirect load paths and internal shock wave reflections at the interface. Can be set. In mesh joints, fatigue defects around the fastener and loosening of the fastener can also occur. Designed to handle mechanical impacts and impacts from any contact point (eg, payload) into the kinetic sink to dissipate the impact and to minimize the kinetic path and handle predictable impact loads Must be guided through the component. In the case of a housing made of a plurality of pieces, deformation or cracking may occur at the joint portion under a high impact load. The device attempts to absorb most of the energy rather than diverging into the kinetic sink or directing it to the attached base structure. The monocoque housing has a single outer shell piece with a shaft turntable bearing attached so that impact loads are dissipated into the high strength housing shell or guided into the mounting base via a short kinetic path. . For housings constructed from composite materials, plastics or beryllium alloys, they are excellent in shock and vibration damping and do not generate permanent deformation that occurs in malleable materials (eg, aluminum). This monocoque housing 111 design can cause serious problems in assembly, and may not be assembled without a turntable bearing with mounting holes, and the lower mounting without obstructions can be vertical or outwardly drafted. This is made possible by an inner wall, a removable tilt shaft mount and a well-coordinated assembly procedure. Referring to FIG. 10, by integrating the pan bearing flange 129 into the floor of the housing 111, a higher level of integration and structural rigidity is obtained as long as the assembly procedure is carefully determined. The positioning device 101 is particularly resistant to shock and vibration when the integrated housing 111 is combined with the previously disclosed motor mount that is resistant to shock and vibration.

  Yet another useful advantage of a simple housing is that it is possible to easily shift from manufacturing with a milled metal structure to a cast or molded structure. In the field of the present invention, after first milling / machining parts made from aluminum stock, body shell piece metal casting, plastic molding or composite fiber molding is carried out to significantly reduce the unit price. It is common. In the case of a milling piece, the unit price is high, but according to the R & D currently in progress, the change can be made without any loss other than the part itself. A disadvantage of casting and molding is that the molds, dies and tools are very expensive front-loading investments that can be wasted if changes occur that cannot be accommodated by the tools. Cast metal parts are structurally weaker than low temperature milling billets and heat treated billets, and in the case of cast or molded parts, a second machining or treatment is required for high precision surface finish, features and thread formation. Become. A further problem when shifting from milling to forming structure is part design change. That is, to avoid mold die sticking, the design features need to be modified to include an outward draft angle in the wall. Also, it may be necessary to expand the small corner radius and undercutting may not be possible, and the wall thickness is adjusted to avoid improper lamination in the composite or hardening distortion in the plastic structure There is also a need. Shifting to a cast or molded structure is more difficult in products consisting of multiple body pieces. This is because a plurality of molds and tool sets must be made at the same time, and the parts may not mesh well due to the accumulation of tolerances. Obtaining competitiveness in mass production is a step that requires cost savings in casting and molded parts, which is extremely difficult in the prior art composed of multiple bodypieces, even at high cost. is there. If the number of parts to be cast or molded can be reduced by integration, there will be fewer molds and associated second machining and processing, reducing the number of parts will increase reliability and reduce tolerance accumulation.

  By shifting to casting or molding during the conception stage rather than the alpha or beta prototype announcement stage, the benefits of the two-piece housing body are maximized. Because there are only two pieces for the housing, the number of molds and tools is reduced compared to comparable multi-piece designs. As a result, the distribution of funds at an early stage prior to sales supporting development is also small. Thus, the shift from large billet machining can be initiated earlier than the product life cycle. Since there are only two pieces, the risk of warpage and tolerance accumulation that hinders high precision alignment of bolt holes and mating flanges is reduced. The positioner housing 111 has only one meshing flange with respect to the post machine, and has few threads for fastening the body shell. The use of a turntable ring with mounting holes and the use of a removable shaft mount in some embodiments eliminates the need for a second machining into the wall of the high precision bore and shoulder cast metal piece. . Since the tilt shaft 105 has a more direct kinetic path for load movement between the tilt shaft 105 and the pan shaft base 125, the body shell piece 111 is an excellent structural member. That is, it not only becomes a housing, but also provides abundant load bearing capacity continuously by a wall that does not require strengthening by heat treatment and low-temperature milling of metal stock. The mold die requires a draft angle and minimized undercut to remove the die from the molded part, so the housing 111 is compatible with both milling and molded structures without significant design changes. can do. Referring to FIG. 30, the housing 311 may have an outer drafted inner wall or a vertical inner wall, may have an outer outer wall draft, may have removable shaft mounts 128, 145, This facilitates the die molding and molding process. In FIG. 29, the tilt shaft mount can be an integral feature of the housing wall, but must not interfere with the operation of the mold die, nor can it interfere with the attachment of other internal components. Where even higher levels of component integration occur, instead of avoiding or shortening the machining prototype phase, such as the housing 111 of FIG. 10 that integrates the pan bearing flange 129 with the housing floor, Developing a cast metal high speed prototype, a step close to casting, has advantages in economy and device performance. The adoption of a monocoque housing is made possible by a turntable bearing transmission mechanism, and with a well-assembled assembly procedure, very useful advantages are gained in performance, cost and production time and are realized in the finished product for sale.

  Although the system of the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is understood that additions, deletions, and modifications can be made in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the system of the present invention. Various components are included in the description of the apparatus and method that meets the requirements, but in various other configurations, these components and the described configuration can be modified and rearranged. Is deeply understood.

Claims (25)

A positioning device,
A housing having a hollow central volume;
A first plane mounted turntable bearing mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, the first plane mounted turntable bearing comprising a first inner ring, a first outer ring, and the first An inner ring and a first plurality of bearings between the first outer ring, the first inner ring being firmly connected to a lower portion of the housing, and the first outer ring being firmly connected to a mounting base. A first planar mounting turntable bearing,
A first motor mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the first motor is firmly connected to the housing to rotate the first outer ring; ,
A first gear mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the first gear is coupled to the first motor and the first outer ring of the first planar mounted turntable bearing; A first gear in which rotation of the first gear by the first motor causes rotation of the first inner ring with respect to the first outer ring and the mounting base;
A second plane mounted turntable bearing mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the second plane mounted turntable bearing comprises a second inner ring, a second outer ring, and the second A second plane-mounted turntable bearing comprising a second plurality of bearings between the inner ring and the second outer ring, wherein the second inner ring is firmly connected to the housing;
A shaft extending through the first side of the housing into the hollow central volume, the shaft being firmly connected to the second outer ring;
A second motor mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the second motor is firmly connected to the housing;
A second gear mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, the second gear coupled to the second motor and the second outer ring of the second planar mounted turntable bearing. A second gear wherein rotation of the second gear by the second motor causes rotation of the shaft relative to the second motor and the housing;
A first belt, cable, or chain connection having teeth attached in tension around the first outer ring and the first gear;
A second belt, a cable, or a chain connection having teeth attached in tension around the second outer ring and the second gear;
Wherein the first belt, cable or chain connection and the second belt, cable or chain connection are mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
Positioning device.   The positioning device of claim 1, further comprising a third planar mounted turntable bearing mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing and mounted between the housing and the shaft.   The positioning device of claim 2, wherein the shaft extends through a second side of the housing opposite the first side of the housing. A shaft flange surrounding the shaft;
An inner radial portion of the shaft flange rigidly connected to the shaft;
An outer radial portion of the shaft flange rigidly connected to the second outer ring;
Further comprising
Wherein the shaft flange is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
The positioning device according to claim 1. A bearing flange surrounding the shaft;
An outer radial portion of the bearing flange rigidly connected to the housing;
An inner radial portion of the bearing flange rigidly connected to the second inner ring,
Wherein the bearing flange is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
The positioning device according to claim 1.   The positioning device of claim 1, wherein the mounting base is assembled to a first shaft. A shaft flange surrounding the shaft;
An outer radial portion of the shaft flange firmly connected to the first outer ring;
An inner radial portion of the shaft flange rigidly coupled to the shaft;
Wherein the shaft flange is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
The positioning device according to claim 6. A bearing flange, an outer radial portion of the bearing flange rigidly connected to the housing, and an inner radial portion of the bearing flange rigidly connected to the first inner ring;
Wherein the bearing flange is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
The positioning device according to claim 1.   The positioning device of claim 1, wherein the first planar mounting turntable bearing and the second planar mounting turntable bearing are preloaded to an elastic deformation of 0.001 to 0.00005 inches.   The positioning device of claim 1, further comprising a first shaft actuator comprising the first motor and first control electronics. 11. The positioning device of claim 10 , further comprising a second shaft actuator comprising the second motor and second control electronics.   The inner ring or the outer ring is provided with one or more alignment holes, and an alignment pin is provided to align the first plane mount turntable bearing or the second plane mount turntable bearing with the housing with high accuracy. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein the positioning device is provided in the one or more alignment holes. A positioning device,
A housing having a hollow central volume;
A plane mounted turntable bearing mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the plane mounted turntable bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of first bearings between the inner ring and the outer ring. A plane mount turntable bearing, wherein the inner ring is firmly connected to the housing;
A shaft extending through the first side of the housing into the hollow central volume, the shaft being firmly connected to the outer ring;
A motor mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the motor is firmly connected to the housing; and
A gear mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the gear is coupled to the motor and the outer ring of the plane mounted turntable bearing, and the rotation of the gear by the motor causes the motor and the A gear that causes rotation of the shaft relative to the housing;
A belt, cable or chain connection having teeth attached in tension around the outer ring and the gear;
With
Wherein the belt, cable, or chain connection is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
Positioning device.   14. The positioning device of claim 13, further comprising a second planar mounting turntable bearing mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing between the housing and the shaft.   The shaft extends through a second side of the housing into the hollow central volume, the second side being opposite the first side of the housing. The positioning device described in. A shaft flange that surrounds the shaft; an inner radial portion of the shaft flange that is firmly connected to the shaft; and an outer radial portion of the shaft flange that is firmly connected to the outer ring.
Wherein the shaft flange is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
The positioning device according to claim 13. A bearing flange that surrounds the shaft; an outer radial portion of the bearing flange that is firmly connected to the housing; and an inner radial portion of the bearing flange that is firmly connected to the inner ring,
Wherein the bearing flange is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
The positioning device according to claim 13.   14. The positioning device of claim 13, wherein the planar mounted turntable bearing is preloaded to an elastic deformation of 0.001 to 0.00005 inches. Further comprising a shaft actuator including the motor and control electronics, the positioning device according to claim 13.   The inner ring or the outer ring includes one or more alignment holes, and an alignment pin is provided in the one or more alignment holes in order to align the first planar mounting turntable bearing with the housing with high accuracy. The positioning device according to claim 13. A positioning device,
A housing having a hollow central volume;
A plane mounted turntable bearing mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the plane mounted turntable bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of first bearings between the inner ring and the outer ring. A plane mounted turntable bearing, wherein the outer ring is firmly connected to a side portion of the housing with a plurality of fasteners, and the inner ring is firmly connected to a shaft;
A motor mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the motor is firmly connected to the housing to rotate the inner ring;
A gear mounted in the hollow central volume of the housing, wherein the gear is coupled to the inner ring of the motor and the turntable bearing, and rotation of the gear by the motor is relative to the outer ring and the housing. A belt, cable, or chain connection having a gear that causes rotation of the inner ring and teeth attached in tension around the inner ring and the gear;
With
Wherein the belt, cable, or chain connection is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing,
Positioning device. A shaft flange surrounding the shaft; an outer radial portion of the shaft flange firmly connected to the inner ring; and an inner radial portion of the shaft flange firmly connected to the shaft;
Wherein the shaft flange is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
The positioning device according to claim 21. A bearing flange; an outer radial portion of the bearing flange firmly connected to the housing; and an inner radial portion of the bearing flange firmly connected to the shaft;
Wherein the bearing flange is mounted within the hollow central volume of the housing;
The positioning device according to claim 21.   The positioning device of claim 21, wherein the bearing is preloaded to an elastic deformation of 0.001 to 0.00005 inches.   The positioning device of claim 21, further comprising a shaft actuator comprising the motor and control electronics.

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